GIVE INDEPENDENT AND SHOP SMALL THIS CHRISTMAS

Black Friday, Cyber Monday - Take it back Tuesday!

This time of year is a crazy one for many folk, the pressure to create a perfect ‘all singing all dancing Christmas’ can often force you to make quick, unconscious decisions in attempt to get a ‘good deal’. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the whirlwind frenzy of consumerism, feeding into our ‘not enough’ human failings, driving us to buy quick, buy more and buy cheap, because “you deserve it!”

No. Think again. What you deserve is far more than that, you deserve peace and joy, the traditional blessing of Christmas.

In this short blog post I hope to make it easier for you to access relevant information on the topic, and to help you make informed, and conscious shopping decisions going forward.

Slow down for just a minute, zone out of the hype, turn off the TV and the radio shouting at you to buy and just find that inner magic inside you, what are you grateful for this season?

What you and your loved one’s really deserve, is a healthy, magical, thoughtful Christmas, one that is considered and curated with attention and care. Find unique products that aren’t seen in every retailer in the UK, uncover unusual hidden gems that make the receiver feel like they have something truly special.

Independent designers and makers put their heart and soul into their goods. We won’t settle until we have created something we are proud of, we don’t just churn things out. We won’t inflate margins in order to make it look like we’re than cutting the costs dramatically, our prices are true and honest all year round. We design to express, and that expression is something you can’t buy anywhere else, guaranteed.

Here are a few links I have found on the topic, that are a joy to read…

The Independent on “How to Shop Better this Christmas”

The Guardian on “How to have a green Christmas”

To find unique gifts and support small, you can use the following website links, my round up of fave goods from these sites are below.

urbanmakers.co.uk

etsy.com

notonthehighstreet.com

folksy.com

pedddle.com

I can’t put it better than 91 magazine, their ethos mirrors mine, this article is well worth a read…

91magazine.co.uk/blog/2019/11/25/slow-living-at-christmas

… and they have great sections dedicated to independents on their blog;

91magazine.co.uk/blog/category/Shopkeeper+Spotlight

91magazine.co.uk/blog/category/Meet+the+Maker

You can also keep an eye on my social media accounts, which will feature markets and fairs I attend all year round.

Wishing you a peaceful and conscious pre-festive period.

Ruth Holly xx

COMMUNITY SPIRIT

This week I’m taking part in an Instagram based campaign called Just a Card. The JUST A CARD campaign aims to encourage people to buy from Designer/Makers and Independent Galleries and Shops by reinforcing the message that all purchases, however small, even 'just a card' are so vital to the prosperity and survival of small businesses.

This is something I have always championed as a designer myself. For years I have visited design fairs and markets and been in awe at the talent, skill and bravery of the small independent businesses I saw develop in front of my eyes.

Now, being one of them, I feel it even deeper, and really feel privileged to be part of this movement. And I really do feel it is a movement. If you are aware of the amount of creatives using Instagram and social media for their creative outlet, and to sell their creations, you will feel it too.

I have struggled to find the words for this post, because how I feel is at times difficult for me to process, let alone articulate. For a long time I have been at a loss to find my tribe. At 35, without a family of my own yet, I have often got confused as to my position in society, my role, my purpose, my identity. Starting out on this journey, my aim was simple, to develop a lifestyle brand that was authentic to myself and the way I see the world, to create products for people who share my vision, who truly see the beauty in life most un-obvious places. To create a warm, loving home sanctuary for myself, to be financially stable, to survive.

I had no ambition to make friends along the way, if anything this was a way for me to be independent, to do something alone, without relying or depending on anyone else.

I now know this isn’t possible, life’s true blessings are our connections, our relationships and the energy that flows between us. In 4 years, I have learnt SO MUCH, every day I have found a new way to express myself, everyday I have come up with a solution for a problem, developed a products, created designs. The takings from this business are far more than financial. I have made fantastic connections; for a day, for the length of a trade show!, for months, and now for years.

Both personally and professionally I have found a sense of belonging within the design business community. These folk are just true. Creative, passionate, hard working mavericks, each singing their own tune but equally so open and willing to sing mine too.

LALALALAAAAAAAA - THANK YOU!