Turtle Steps, Transitions and Show Dates
Do you ever get ahead of yourself?! Maybe get excited about an idea and launch into it only to realize it’s actually going to take 2 months instead of 2 days… or 2 years instead of 2 months?! Boy, I sure do! I’m working on it though…
We’ve all heard the story of the turtle and the hare. And there’s a reason we’ve all heard it. There is deep wisdom in it.
I’ve always found it a bit challenging to balance the excitement that accompanies the outpouring of creative energy with the mundane and the practical day to day steps it takes to bring creative vision to fruition. And every time I push against the natural flow in favor of a particular outcome, it never turns out well…not in the long run, anyway.
Since my daughter was a tiny little thing, she has brought me back a turtle souvenir from every trip she has ever taken without me. She’s 21 and I have quite the turtle collection now. The most recent addition is a little turtle tile magnet that accompanied her home from a study abroad in Seville, Spain.
Between the turtles and the abundance of wisdom that nature is continually sharing… it seems to finally be sinking in.
Last time I wrote, I was talking about really taking advantage of the slower pace of winter…the benefit of following nature’s lead and taking the time to rest deeply, relax, rejuvenate and reassess. I did a better job of that this year than ever. When February came, I even saw my shadow and went back in for another month. When I came out of hibernation, I had a renewed vision and a deeper commitment to how I’m using my business to support conservation.
While there’s definitely still a part of me that wants to jump and run and charge full steam ahead, I’m taking it one step at a time…
First you may have noticed that my website looks quite different. Yep... it's new! And it took 3 months instead of 3 weeks. Imagine that.
And my byline has changed to “Honoring the Beauty and Bounty of Nature”. It was “Enhancing the Natural Beauty of Leather”…and was shifting into “Pro-Impact Leather Designs”…both of which still hold true. However, these few short words…Honoring. The Beauty. And Bounty. Of Nature…they fully encompass the core of what my work is about and where I am going with it now.
I already focus mainly on free-range leathers, I highlight the natural beauty of leather in my designs, and I give back a portion of all sales to conservation, especially to hunting and fishing related organizations. Moving forward though, I will be aiming to work more directly with these types of organizations so that a higher percentage of sales can directly benefit their efforts.
I’m excited to say…the first official partnership I have to report will be with the NC Brook Trout Association.
When I asked one of our top tier NC Wildlife Resources Agents, “If you had to pick 3 organizations that are doing the best work in our state to protect and restore native species and to conserve land and create public access for hunting and fishing, who would you choose?” Without missing a beat he said, the NC Brook Trout Association, Trout Unlimited and The Blue Ridge Conservancy.
So this is where we start…with turtle steps.
I'm currently working on some fun accessory items with “Brookie” patterns that celebrate the beautiful markings on our ever so special NC native brook trout. A significant portion of these will be benefiting the NC Brook Trout Association.
I’ve also been working with Tyler Pait, of the NC Brook Trout Association, and with Kelly McKoy, of RiverGirl Fishing Company of Todd, NC, to make some small but significant adjustments to my Fly Fishing Lanyards as I prepare for wider distribution of those in a way that will benefit conservation more. $50 per Fly Fishing Lanyard sold via my website will now be going toward fishing related conservation.
This direction feels like a good Appalachian summer rain... calming and refreshing. I’ll let you know more as we wade deeper into the waters...turtle style.
Also, I used to do mostly shows for a living and realized during hibernation that I have missed the one-on-one with my customers in real life. So I've decided to start doing a few local shows again. If you or your friends are ever in Blowing Rock, here are my 2026 local show dates. Please come by if you can. I would love to see you in person.
And last but not least, when I first started sending out newsletters again in October, I told you I was going to be sending out a monthly newsletter with updates, new work, a blog post and Appalachian Moments of Zen. Well....I bit off a little more than I could chew, but we’re getting there!
I needed some time to get my head wrapped around some of the changes I realized I needed to make during hibernation. As I said, the website took more time than I had anticipated, but has been every bit worth it.
Lenka, my new website and marketing angel, has been amazing at helping me to translate my vision into something practical and accessible. The structure of the site is now in place, so be looking for product updates and some new items that I’m excited to share with you!
So step by step we go...
I will continue sending out Appalachian Moments of Zen periodically…because they feed my soul and I hope they do yours too.
Evenlight