Reflecting On Reverie + Felicity Studio's First Birthday

A stack of doughnuts with aqua icing and colorful sprinkles fitted with lit candles

 

June is Reverie + Felicity Studio’s birthday month!

And I can’t believe it but this month marks this little business's first birthday.

This time last year, I was:

  • attempting to self-talk my way through entirely reasonable doubts about starting a new business in the midst of the pandemic

  • working feverishly to get the website to a "good enough to put into the world" place
     
  • choosing to believe that starting anew was the right path to take because the idea of encouraging your creativity through my candle creations LIT ME UP.

See, after making candles for several years under a different business name and approach, the call to evolve as a creative, artist and maker had slowly been revealing itself.

Once I realized what was happening, I was honestly scared to consider changing by closing the chapter on a decade-old business that served me well financially.
 
And yet, it felt necessary to honor the growth happening in me after years of deepening into my creativity, and learning so much in that first business.

I also believe it's because I'm in my 40s now and--call it dark or not--I'm feeling the tugs of my own mortality. (Seeing my son grow into a young man while still being able to vividly recall his small, soft baby self certainly provides a clear marker of the quickly passing time!)

Like Brene Brown’s reflection on the midlife unraveling, the desire to evolve what I make, my creative focus, and to incorporate my values more directly into my work felt simply too strong to ignore.

"Midlife is when the universe gently places her hands upon your shoulders, pulls you close, and whispers in your ear: I’m not screwing around….Time is growing short. There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think. You were born worthy of love and belonging. Courage and daring are coursing through your veins. You were made to live and love with your whole heart. It’s time to show up and be seen." - Brene Brown

For all my shortcomings, one positive thing I do know about myself is that I'm a person who is willing to tread the path of courage. This shift towards a new way of being creative in my work has been led by curiosity, a desire to do better in the world and the pursuit of self-expression. I recognize being able to fully embrace this creative calling is a privilege. And yet at the same time it feels entirely essential to the experience of being a human. 


I’d originally hoped to launch R+F in 2020 but the pandemic, like so many aspects of our lives, changed that timeline significantly! Ultimately, I quietly launched R+F in June 2021. 

Over the course of this past year, it's been:

These are still the early days. But I'm ever so grateful for the support and enthusiasm shown to Reverie + Felicity Studio, which has allowed this first birthday to happen. 

I try to take nothing for granted and to relish all the goodness that happens, especially considering how much pain and turmoil that exist in the world. So I thank you for being here with me, celebrating the beauty, joy and connection that come from the creativity in us all.


 


1 comment


  • Scott Washington

    Happy First Birthday Reverie + Felicity Studio! May this be the Start of the Best Year Yet! Thank You, Erin, for Your Insightful Observations & Wonderful Reflections! Your Character & Integrity Shine through in All You Do! As an Expressive Wordsmith, Creative Entrepreneur, & Talented Artisan, “Thank You” for Who You Are! 🤸‍♂️🎉🎊🎂🎈


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