The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness. -- John Muir
Everyone is picking words for their year- things to do better, do more of, or just be present for. Sure, the new year is just another day. There isn't really anything to differentiate it from any other, except the meaning we imbue it with. It could be the new year or the start of a month, but it is really just a line in the sand. My word is distill. Focus the vision, distill the ideas into a collection, un-distracted by each shiny object that passes.
This line always feels like a clean slate for me. Fresh air, fresh books, fresh season and the best..... fresh collection.
In a couple weeks Im off on retreat. Into the woods, with my clean slate a fresh sketchbook to go deep into the new object magic Unurth will be offering.
...
I am deliberately not doing a ton of prep as I lead to this, just starting to loosely define object parameters based on context of use and technique. But things keep popping across my path that I just can't ignore:
...Like this great article about creating a collection, or when not to create one by the creator of Bonobos, Andy Dunn:
"A great brand is a privilege, and it’s a privilege best earned through an item, not through a collection."
Interestingly relevant to my goals for the year, this article reinforces for me the notion to narrow, focus, and target.
Read more: https://medium.com/p/89390244c553
...These incredible images via Still blog. True to the aim of Unurth, Mary Jo Hoffman finds wonder and magic in the most everyday little things:
This old piece I have in my home and the pretty pattern play...
while visions of jewelry dances in my head....
What is getting you going in 2014? Are you focusing or expanding or neither? Happy Happy New Years!!
As I sit here and drink my hand-ground coffee out of a mug YOU made, I am happy to share that I am focusing AND expanding. My word for the year is gentle. I am going to expand my offerings to include finished goods (for people who can’t or can’t want to sew everything they wear) focused on gentle goods, and sharing what it means to live a gentle life, including being gentle to myself.
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Jenn @ Unurth
January 12, 2014
Haha! That is such a lovely vision! Thank you for sharing that. I can’t wait to see what you are going to be offering! I’m totally one of those! I would love to sew my own clothes, but don’t really know where to start + have soooo many other projects.
That is such a beautiful word- gentle. Evocative of sunny mornings and laughter. So sweet and beautiful. That may not be my word but I may add it as a secondary reminder to be kind to myself. Cheers and hugs Karen!