a slower pace
My birthday is coming up next week and we actually had some pretty weather this morning and a little bit of free time so we walked around a few local antique shops. There's no rush, nothing hurrying you, the music is quiet. and I just get to wander. Aimlessly, quietly searching for something special. Something that is meant for me to find it.
It's not a secret that I love stillness, quiet, and an unhurried pace. I've been this way since I was a child. I played for hours alone, read books, colored or flipped through a magazine. I loved to go walk around bookstores or sit out back in my porch swing before it rained. It was quiet and peaceful. I'm definitely not alone in this. I know some people love to stay busy and rush around but there are plenty of us who like to sit down with a warm cup of tea and nothing pressing to do. With three young children and a teenager plus a small business I usually do have something to do but I steal a few quiet moments whenever I can.
As I was walking around the antique store today picking through embroidered handkerchiefs, table runners and baby dresses I was just thinking about the people who had lovingly stitched these so long ago for me to find. I'm sure they had no idea that years later someone would be buying them to take home to look at the carefully placed stitches and enjoy their art all over again. The things that catch my attention are most often the slow art. Carved wood, handwoven baskets, baby dresses and hand painted doll furniture. I love things that take time.
My goal for this shop is to fill it with things that take time. If it's something I searched for and found, something I made, something that someone I love made, or something I share from another artist... I want you to feel and enjoy the time that went into it.
There are days I am really hard on myself for an order taking too long to get finished and ready to ship, but it takes time. There are little ones running around here but also dollhouses are not a fast project. There's love and attention to tiny details in the far back corner. If I'm being honest I probably painted and repainted a spot ten times before I got it exactly like I wanted it to be. Those are the things you don't see behind the scenes and it's not just me. It's everyone who has a slow craft. Every artist stitching tiny bears, waiting on layers to dry on an oil painting, sewing doll clothes, carving old world pieces, getting their pottery just right before firing it. These are the things I love and the people I love to connect with and learn from. These are the things I want to share here on this blog.
So I will absolutely be sharing what's going on in my world, shop updates and new projects but I will also be sharing my appreciation for other artists too and things I love. I hope that you have a chance this weekend to slow down and do something you love.