My name is Keely; I am a lefty. And I can’t cut. There, I said it. The first step is admitting it. I literally cannot use scissors because they’re just not made for left-handed people. So, I set out to conquer my self-doubt and shame of 34 years and to change my story.
One spring weekend last April, photographer Valerie Smith of Grace Photos and I set off for the Sweet Paul Makerie.
Walking into URBN Headquarters in Philly (where all the Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters brand magic happens), we were greeted first by Sweet Paul magazine’s Paul Lowe, with hugs! Swoon.
A shaft of rainbows spilled across the concrete floor of the naturally lit, creatively composed space just calling to us all to stop and be in wonderment, as if to say, “you are meant to be here, right now—hugs, the universe.”
We met Ali DeJohn, founder of the Makerie, picked up our (fabulous) swag bags and proceeded down the corridor of creativity, where workshops with renowned artists from all over the country would later take place.
Following the scent of bacon, which we would later learn was maple espresso bacon and essentially the best thing ever, the first person we met was Jocelyn Krodman, who said, “This place is like hipster Hogwarts.”
I immediately connected to Jocelyn over her story, but she had me at her craft—I’m a sucker for felted anything, and the expressions on her animals’ faces melted my heart. PetitFelts was born after Krodman left her corporate job in Atlanta and moved to Kingston, NY, to pursue a new craft, and guests at the Sweet Paul Makerie were lucky enough to make their own needle-felted lamb puppet with her guidance.
We continued our journey to the bacon, picking up Valerie McKeehan from Gettysburg along the way. McKeehan, who founded Lily & Val, is now THE expert on the art of chalk lettering, has published a best-selling book and in my eyes has just become a super star. Lily & Val opened its first flagship store in Pittsburgh in October.
Over a breakfast of grilled brioche with homemade ricotta and berries, sweet potato latkes with arugula, red-onion pickled eggs and sausage strata, artist/instructor Elsa Mora and I shared stories of work, motherhood and creative nurturing.
In Elsa’s workshop, she led us almost through a meditative introduction to bring our focus and intention to the present moment (after all, we were going to be using sharp knives, and I quite frankly was kind of nervous about that given my lack of cutting skills). But that was the whole reason I signed up for her class. That, and her work is absolutely amazing.
“Nothing else matters,” Mora told us. “Come to this with intention,” she coached, as she walked around encouraging the practice.
On either side of me sat Kate Sommers, a digital director for Earthbound Organics who recently moved to Colorado and whose work sent her to the creative retreat (she also has a cool blog, Flock of Broads), and a trauma surgeon who flew to Philly from Denver with her best friend to celebrate her birthday at the Makerie event. We joked how Gwenda the surgeon was sure to be a pro at paper cutting, and we talked about our kids (Gwenda and I both have daughters named Hazel, more kindred spirits). But then, as we all got into our art, the space naturally fell hushed.
“I’m a really energetic person,” Elsa explained, which is not always a good thing, she admitted, because she can’t always focus (I get it; I’m right there with her). “We have to practice…force our brain,” she said, and the art of paper cutting allows her that. She patiently taught us to have patience.
At the end of the three-and-a-half-hour session, I made something I am really proud of. It is already framed and on a shelf in the living room.
It was unbelievably relaxing to do nothing but create, making tiny little paper cuts for over three hours. I can’t think of the last time I sat and did anything for that long—besides work.
Over lunch, more delicious Sweet Paul magazine recipes impressed with a spread of dill and yogurt radishes; Cornish hens; beet and goat cheese terrines; and grilled radicchio. I’d talk about the beautiful desserts, but in a room of 125 women, they were three things: beautiful, delish and gone.
During lunch, we were surprised again by a special guest, because, oh yeah, Tiffani Thiessen (you know, Kelli Kapowski from Saved by the Bell) was just casually hanging out at breakfast and taking classes with us. (She had been featured in Sweet Paul magazine as an entertaining enthusiast, and we would later have happy hour with her green tea cherry cocktail).
During lunch Grace Bonney, founder of Design Sponge, revealed the cover of her book, In the Company of Women, released in October. Women from 19 to 92 are chronicled in their work spaces in their pursuit of balance and business. “It’s never over; it’s always reforming, reshaping,” Bonney said. Similarly, being open to the possibility allows you to do things you never thought possible. For instance, I never dreamed that last summer I’d be surrounded by 12 three-to-seven-year-old children through my blog Hunting & Gathering’s cultural cooking and crafting summer camps. As Bonney said, “Sure, you can make these felted objects, but it’s the people that you learned from that you end up taking with you.” It’s experiences like these that shape you.
There was the light of the space, but there was also a glow, an aura of like-minded people; the beauty of all of these artistic souls beaming in one space was so bright. We joked over dinner how we all wished we could live together in one place and then laughed at how nothing would ever actually get done. Because, at the end of the day, as they say, it does take all types to make the world go ‘round. It was just nice for one weekend to be surrounded by our own type—creatives, as we’re often dubbed. Makers: the new buzzword. Inspiring individuals, who make the world more beautiful and, thanks to this gathering, made the world between us all that much smaller.
The next morning as my daughter sat painting, I thought how lucky she is to be so carefree, how important it is to me as a mother to give her time and tools for creative expression, and how little of that I give myself.
When Monday rolled around, I approached the photo shoot I was styling with refreshed energy and excitement. I got out the paint cans from the basement and created a beautiful mess. I dug through my prop shelves inspired by Paul Lowe’s styling workshop and just had fun with it with childlike joy.
I am still chuckling at the story he told of how he wanted to have a museum. His great aunt gave him a lot of antiques (and I think fondly on my great aunt Jean Oliverio, whose treasures fill my own home). Paul recalled how he would set up little vignettes and charge admission to neighborhood kids to see his collections! Such a budding creative entrepreneur! But he also left me with a really good nugget of wisdom: Whether you’re styling a photo shoot or helicoptering over your kids’ outfits or creating the perfect holiday (guilty on all counts): “Perfect is boring.”
2017 Sweet Paul Makerie
Brooklyn, NY April 8-9, 2017 themakerie.com
A two-day creative retreat in partnership with Sweet Paul magazine will be held in Brooklyn, New York. This Makerie event brings the inspiration-packed pages of Sweet Paul magazine to life with 13 modern creative workshops taught by renowned artists ranging from botanical perfuming, 3-D sewing and Sashiko mending to screen printing with metallic foils, alternative floral accessories and even making your own espadrilles. Delicious meals featuring some favorite recipes found in the magazine, captivating speakers and special surprises are just a few more reasons to join in the creative fun. “It’s a gift and wonderful investment in yourself to take the time to play and nurture your creativity,” says Ali DeJohn of The Makerie.
By Keely Childers Heany | Photography by Valerie Smith, Grace Photos
