Come On Over

We like to start the new year conjuring up and envisioning what the year ahead will look like. We set goals for our professional, personal and social lives. Things we want more of, things we want less of and new things. It helps us live intentional lives where we are making decisions for ourselves so they aren't made for us and gives us purpose. A life that gets us one more year closer to knowing and showing our true selves who have gotten buried in layers of titles, labels and assumptions. Ok, I realize that last one might not be the end game goal with resolutions for everyone. But I do think ultimately it is once even more layers of social pressures and life experiences are peeled back.

One of my personal journey goals for 2023 is to connect with the people around me. Cultivate a community and friendships. I have friends who are naturals at this. It is just who they are. Being with them makes me feel seen and loved, a connection is created in time spent with them. It is a certain vulnerability for some and for some it's a complete ease with themselves and others. I hope to make you feel that way this year and I hope you'll keep coming back for more.

I'm envisioning big things for JH Hats. As I am writing, I am stuck right here as what to say next. Why? Because all the marketing hubbub took over my brain as soon as I started to think about what I can do to help my business grow. I hear the voices telling me to put all the key words into my blog to attract my customers. I think about the businesses who hire content writers to create their blogs so they are designed to pop up more in google searches and sell products. These voices make it hard for me to do it my way. But, I will. So whatever I do this year to grow my business, I hope it looks and feels like me.

As an artist, I plan to continue with the growth I have experienced during my first year here in New Bern. The opportunities to show my work at local galleries, the library and coffee shop have really inspired and encouraged me as an artist. I am grateful for that. This little town on the water jumped right into my soul and told it to create wonderful things.

This photo is the 2023 vision collage that my daughter and I made together. We hope to grow plants, eat plants, explore islands, fish and paddle in the waters and love on our dog, Mable.

Sitting In a Parking Lot

I was a vendor at my first show as JH Hats this past weekend. I had hoped to be inspired by it to write my next blog post. But, as I sit here to reflect on the event, the image that keeps flashing in my mind is that of the empty parking lot I was set up in and myself all bundled up to stay warm. It’s hard to imagine there is any inspiration or much to reflect on with those conditions. The first thought that creeps into my mind out of the empty lot is, “I can’t believe we were charged $300 to sit out here for two days and have maybe 100 folks walk by. $300 for two days would be reasonable if there was a crowd or if we were inside. So much money goes into finding out how to best spend your money when you first start out. In this case, the $300 would most definitely have been better spent on social media ads or saved for a different event. Finding the right event for your product is a challenge yet worth the investment if it’s the right one. I am tempted here to write about what seems like faulty thinking in regards to breaking even at craft fairs but that’s really more of a discussion I need to have with a business professional.

So, whereas this blog will not be about the cool folks I met who gave life, personality and a forever home to my hats, it will be about folks I met and observed while confined to my 10 by 10 space. I know hats are a very niche accessory. I know it takes a certain amount of confidence to start wearing one. I also know everyone can wear a hat when they find the right size and style for just for them. Several men who tried out a hat, turned to their women partners and would say, “What do you think?” The women would give a quick and resounding, “NO”. The men were willing to try something new, step slightly out of their norm but were quickly shut down. I heard more than one man ask his woman partner if she wanted a hat and it was always met with an answer that felt a bit like, who do you think I am? The women who tried out hats were women who already owned and wore hats. Many women would walk by saying, I do love hats, I just don’t wear them. But why not? Why deny yourself something you love? Because you lack the confidence. That’s why. It seems men are rewarded by society when they take a risk and they are groomed for confidence but women, taking a risk is risky and we’ve been conditioned our whole lives to conform. So ladies, wear the hat, even if it’s just a metaphorical hat for something you want to do but have not had the confidence to try. You do look good in a hat!

I set up the booth alone the second day of the event. I left many hats at home and simplified the booth. As I was setting up, I noticed a man and child dropping another man off at the bus stop which was directly behind my booth. The man had a suitcase and backpack with him. He was dressed all in black and wearing a flat cap covered by the hood of his black hoodie. He had large skull rings and teeth that did not appear to have the luxury of a dentist. After some time passed, he approached me asking if I was familiar with the area because he would like to grab a coffee before the bus arrived. I directed him to the nearest coffee shop and he rolled his luggage and backpack over for me to watch while he was searching out his cup of joe. When he returned we spoke for a while. He told me about a tyrolean hat that he bought in Germany and lost in a house fire. He said they are also called traveler’s hats because people put pins in them from the different places they have visited. He also lost a hand carved cuckoo clock from Germany in that house fire. Then, he grabs his bag so he can show me the battery powered heated vest that he owns. At this point I am picturing him climbing Mt. Everest with that heated vest and his tyrolean hat. Shortly after, the bus arrived and he was off maybe to hike Mt. Everest or to stay warm in the streets. There is a small separation between the two in my imagination.

I’ll Make You a Deal

It’s interesting how exposed one can feel without being seen and simultaneously feel like you need to do more to get people to notice. This is how launching my first website and starting a business has me feeling at the moment. I am really excited for the future of my hats and business and like a new hat wearer might feel, I have some insecurities about putting myself out there so completely.

Now that the business is launched, I have to get the word out about it. I have to show my face and have more words both in real life and on-line. Both of these things have taken some work on my part to accomplish in the real world with people I know and trust so it feels like, well, kinda scary.

So, here’s the deal I’d like to make with you. I’ll share my thoughts and words and you wear the hat with confidence because it looks great on you!