There are many elements which make up what I do as a jewelry artist.
- Using my God given talent to create
- Selling those creations to pay the bills
- Helping women feel beautiful
- Spending every second Saturday with a group of amazingly talented, fun and encouraging women
- Being an encouragement to those around me
- The excitement of seeing my fellow artisans' work become a part of someone else's life
But there is another piece that ranks right up there with the satisfaction of creating and that's blessing others. All of the artisans at The Martketplace have this same giving heart and yesterday we had the opportunity to see it all come full circle. A young girl (I think she's 14 years old) who is a regular client brought some of her creations in. She is passionate about turning old clothing and fabrics into useful items. Jeana Dale (our home decor seamstress) blessed her with some fabric. The sweet little girl made a pair of shorts from the fabric and wore them in so we could see her finished product. Her fashion personality at this age is an inspiration. She knows what she likes and she sews it and wears it. Not only is she making her own clothes, but she also made two purses. One was a purse/backpack she made from an old pair of jeans embellished with lace and bows. I SO SO wish I'd gotten a photo of both her work and her sweet face. This little girl was just beaming. You could see in her eyes that her creations made her happy but for us to see these items and gush over them …… well, it just put her over the moon.
Will this day at The Martketplace be glued in her memory bank? I hope it is! I hope it encourages her to chase her passions with reckless abandon! For me, this moment made me realize that The Martketplace has a higher calling. Do I see a clear cut plan of what this might look like? Nope. But I know in my heart that each of the artisans who make up The Martketplace were hand selected by God to serve a purpose there.
We have so many amazing moments at The Martketplace. I cherish these experiences. The Martketplace is evolving into what I'd hoped it would. I wanted it to be a place where we would show and sell our work, but I hoped it would become a place where creativity could blossom. After being open for a year now, it's shape is becoming just a tiny bit more clear.
Thank you to each of our clients who took the time to drop by. We enjoyed chatting with you.
We'd love to know…..what is your favorite part of The Martketplace?