Driven to Distraction part 3: Inspiration

I hope this finds everyone home, safe and sound. It has been a full month since the shut down. What a strange time. I find myself weathering emotional waves…sadness, fear, gratitude, hope.

As the emotions come and go, the challenge for me has been how to feel inspired and productive… two feelings I am used to when I’m at the shop. I created a long “to-do” list. It’s looong. In fact, I’m not making a dent. It’s chock-full of everything I want to accomplish with my free time. Mastering crow pose in yoga, starting my vegetable garden from seeds, detailing my car… it’s endless. Let’s just say my lettuce is looking a lot better than my crow pose, and I do not feel inspired to detail my car.

Since a recent renovation, I am spending some of my time moving things back into rooms. All the furniture is in place and the rooms are functioning; but the pace has slowed for other things. Throws, accessories, and even art, are being looked at with Marie Kondo’s voice in my head asking, “Does it bring you joy? Does it serve a purpose?” If the answer is no, it’s cut from the squad. Sorry. Some things in life are handed to us, and some we get to choose.

This has got me cooking on what I do want to put in the space, so my plan is to start a treasure hunt. I have some old photos of my sister and I when we were little… in the 70’s. I did have a very cool banana seat bike, and I’m curious to compare my girls’ photos to me as a child. That will be fun. And I’ll look through the boxes of my kids art… I LOVE kids art. And once it is safe to do so, I’ll ask Adam to get to the beach (a favorite place) with my dog (my best boy) so I can cash in on the photo shoot he gave me for Christmas. The inspiration ball is rolling now!

I think it’s a great time to be looking around and asking yourself what really inspires you? That is the most amazing part of the shop. Every day we get to see what inspires people.

I have been thinking lately of one inspired customer in particular, Judith Chaffee. I remember when she came in carrying an impressive looking white box. When she revealed the contents to us we were blown away. She had a number of original photographs that her cousin Stephen Ferry had shot for a National Geographic article. The article is about an indigenous people, the Arhuaco, who live in the Sierra Nevada in Northern Columbia, and Stephen had given the photographs to Judith as a gift. There were many and we all gathered to talk about the grouping she had chosen to frame. The photographs are so beautiful; we were all inspired.

To read the article and see some truly beautiful photographs follow the link below. It will require you to sign up with National Geographic, but I think it’s worth it. It is an eye-opening story of a beautiful people who are truly connected to the earth.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2019/11/indigenous-protectors-sacred-peaks-secret-until-now/

As time marches on, I have started to get emails from customers with questions about their projects. One is planning to update some restaurant decor, another to frame a piece for the NAA spring show, and, most recently, a new home owner ready to nest. Adam, Marisa and I have stayed in touch for these weeks. We miss each other, we miss the shop, and we miss our customers.

We are very much looking forward to seeing what inspires you and we can’t wait to frame it! You may not have a cousin who is a National Geographic photographer, but I’m guessing you have a photo of your old banana seat bike!

Be well,

Patti