A big thank you to the wonderfully talented Leela Cyd who stopped by the showroom earlier this month to take my portrait for our website.  It’s been close to a year since I started my business and I feel so lucky to have landed in Portland.  Not only do I get the chance to meet people like Leela, who are as kind as they are talented, but there’s a creative energy in the air here that’s infectious and life-affirming.

Also, recently I’ve felt the need to start sharing a more personal perspective on my work and business here on this blog. I’m a private person and have always been a little shy of the blogosphere, but it was listening to this talk by Imogene + Willie that changed my mind about sharing my thoughts.   I feel that in building my business, I’m becoming part of a larger conversation about how we design and manufacture things in America.  There are a lot of small business owners spear-heading this movement, and I hope to be one of them.  I have a passion and curiosity when it comes to America’s manufacturing past and I hope that by sharing what I learn along the way, I can help build a better future.

If you’re interested in building on this conversation, please convo me on Twitter:  @caravanpacific

Also, please check out the Made In Portland section of Leela’s site for beautiful photography on local PDX makers.

Thanks!