we will all be changed

It's really hard to believe another season is upon us and I can't believe we're going into our third year! I've been thinking so much about this journey and wanted to share a few personal thoughts with you. When I first started the Makerie in 2011, I had no idea how it was all going to go. I jumped in with both feet (exhilarated & terrified at the same time!) and kept saying to myself, 'Just try one. That's all you have to do. Just one event and if it doesn't go as planned, you can move on with your life knowing you gave it your all.' And so I did. And it was really beyond my wildest dreams in countless ways. What I didn't think about until right after the inaugural Makerie was how was I going to do it again? I had been so focused on the details of everything our first year that it honestly never crossed my mind to think about doing another one. It was a funny thing and I found myself debating how to move forward, or not at all. I have always liked ending things on a high note. :) Ultimately I decided I had to try it again to prove to myself it wasn't just a wild dream (or a fluke). We held our second event last April and it was again, so much more than I ever imagined. I still can't get over the incredible, thoughtful, loving teachers, students, supporters and volunteers that congregated at Chautauqua in our beautiful Boulder, Colorado. As we head into our third season, I'm just filled with gratitude for each and every person who has helped shape the Makerie into what it is. I have always said this is something we are all creating together and I mean that with all my heart. I cherish everyone who has touched our event in any way, and it wouldn't be what it is without them, that's for certain. Putting together the Makerie is an ever-growing experience so thank you all for giving me the opportunity to learn, grow and change in ways I never knew. It's the most incredible honor to be able to create a place that gives the gift of creative time. We all need it so much. We can't wait for you to see what we have in store for 2013 (right around the corner!) so in honor of that, do take a few minutes to watch our brand new video by Kevin Von Qualen about this little event we love called the Makerie.

~xo

in honor of valentine's day...

Plant a kiss!

xo

we can change the world with our own two hands

We are so excited to show you why we've been busy little bees behind the scenes over here. Several months ago in yoga class, the teacher played the most beautiful song during shavasna (the peaceful resting pose at the end) and it's pure loveliness made me cry. It was exactly what creating things with my hands meant to me, woven into every wonderful word they sang, and epitomized what the Makerie was all about. Fast forward and here we are! 

We had so much fun creating this piece and have some very special people to thank for making it happen. First of all, Dan Knudson & Michael Anderson, of Dan Knudson Productions, who brought their bright spirits, fancy cameras and amazing eyes. What an absolute treat to work with such great guys! Allison Bozeman not only let us take over her darling BirdDog Press studio, but also starred in the show and had every perfect prop at arm's reach. This mulit-talented woman was in the middle of eight branding and printing projects, but still managed to clean up her studio and spend an entire day helping us. Yes. She's a rock star ~ and then some! Laura Kuhn, our marvelous intern, lent a hand (literally at times!) and pitched in whenever and wherever she was needed. We are quite lucky to find someone like her who's willing to help with anything! Some of the fabulous footage is what it is because of Elke Bergeron and Kristin FitzGerrell, who provided many of the fantastic handmade props and accents. I highly recommend taking a peek at both of their endlessly inspiring sites, here and here. In the beginning of the piece, there is a drawer being pulled out from a wooden sewing box. This was my grandma's, passed down to me by my sweet Aunt Sarah. I couldn't think of a better way to begin the Makerie story and it warms my heart to no end that my grandma can be part of this in such a special way. If she were here today, I have a feeling she might have been first in line at the Makerie. :) She was a creative soul beyond belief! And lastly, gratitude goes to the Cup Espresso Cafe and Thai Patton, the gifted espresso artist who created our logo in a latte with flair. Adam, the Cup's manager, embraced the idea from our very first phone call and I'm so appreciative for their time and trust in us. This certainly took a team to pull this all together and I am immensely grateful for the amazing one we had! 

Thank you Ben Harper & Jack Johnson for creating this exquisite song. Oh I do hope it will inspire you to go out and use your own two hands as much as it does me! If it speaks to you, even a little, I encourage you to add it to your own playlist by purchasing it here, here or here. 

I feel this video does not need a lot of explaining so I invite you to sit down on a comfy couch, with your favorite cup of tea and a cozy blanket to watch it. It's just that kind of piece.

With love....

p.s. To view our video on a mobile phone, please click here. 

the makerie

click here to play the video!

So here it is! Our very first Makerie video. I do have to say we had a blast creating it! I owe a big, big thank you to both Alli & Kristin for helping bring this to life. Alli with her awesome ideas, cute hands (yes those are her's with the adorable ring in our video!) and incredibly generous time... and Kristin for letting us use her insanely inspiring home for our production studio. So that wood background you see, that is a counter in her house she made... yes I know... it's SO very cool and only the tip of the iceberg! And if she wasn't generous enough to let us take over her house for the afternoon, she handed us a plate of warm, homemade chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven, smack in the middle of our work. Was that not the sweetest treat? It was truly an awesome collaboration, and I could not have done it without the help of these two beautiful friends.

I hope this video, along with the song, helps to capture the spirit of this event. The great creative workshops are, of course, a super special part of the weekend, but it's oh so much more than that. It's about providing a space to really play with your creativity (at whatever level that means for you!) and disconnect from our fast-paced, high tech world. It will be a place to connect with like-minded people in person ~ which can be inspiring and healing on so many levels. And it will be a weekend to simply honor who you are and what you need at that very moment. I love this verse in the song we chose for our video, as it speaks so much to how we hope to inspire others.

I've got to show the world
All that I wanna be
And all my 'bilities
There's so much more to me...

What we are creating here is open to anyone ~ yes, even those that claim they are not creative at all! ~ and in fact, believe the Makerie is something we will all create together. I sincerely hope our little video is relaying this message ~ loud and clear. I do hope you like it!

stories...

Natalie Chanin - Fashion Designer from Alabama Chanin on Vimeo.
... are gifts meant to be shared. And since it's gift-giving season, I wanted to share this beautiful one from the ever-inspiring Alabama Chanin. I just love it.