Winter - Rejuvenation

 

A season for rejuvenation

A lunar eclipse coinciding with the winter solstice this year may seem random, but we see it as a harbinger of a particularly powerful New Year on its way. In preparation, as we say goodbye to 2010 and look forward to the start of a fresh decade, our buzzword this winter is rejuvenation.

Defined as the act of becoming “more vigorous, dynamic, and effective”, we embrace the challenge of a creative rebirth for our business, and our lives.

Since we love what we do - and because how we live and how we earn our living is so interwoven - our process of revitalization touches all aspects of defining who Abit and I are. Our annual reinvention is tuned to this season of reflection, a slower time in which to reassess. The absence of sun and warmth turns our focus inward, to nourishing our inner light and heat.

This season, our renewal is not passive, but an active appraisal of our journey ahead. What treasures shall we hunt for? What ancient places of timeless knowledge will guide us in 2011? What goals will mean the most to us in this coming year?

A sneak preview, in three glimpses:

A workshop where handcrafts, local artisans and travelers will mingle and make new wonders…

A visit to a Mesopotamian melting pot, with treasures to enrich and inform our Old City endeavors with its special blend of intercultural immersion. And you are invited to come along with us…

A new take on ancient alchemy, rejuvenating not only traditional crafts, but the women who make them, the girls who will carry these skills forward, evolving a culture we will nurture into a craftivist life of its own.
 

Wishing you all a fearlessly creative, abundant and inspiring 2011!

Autumn - gratitude

A rich autumn harvest

Days get cooler and shorter, the Bosphorus and Sea of Marmara take on a hazy grey fog, visitors become scarcer here in Istanbul’s Old City. Life begins to slow to a winter pace. It’s time to take stock of this past season’s accomplishments, while looking forward to a winter of preparation; time to prepare an abundant crop of new ideas in the spring of 2011. We have much to be grateful for, and we’d like to share that gratitude with you.

For an imaginative website that allow artisans to turn our handcrafted dreams into reality

For magazines that fuel our imagination by telling tales of “connecting cultures and inspiring action”
 
For a crossroads of hybrid identity that helps us find our global niche

For the wealth of beautiful handcrafted wonders here in Sultanahmet

For friends who not only share our passion for naturally made products, but help their communities through what they sell: colorful Turkish cottons, sturdy hemp for the hamam,
and luscious potions whipped up from organic herbs and flowers

For our international community of fiber artists who support each other via amazing inspiration and common goals

For the exciting treasures we will discover away from the crowds in our neighborhood starting next spring, from local merchants and artisans

And most of all, for family, friends and customers who make our work feel like play. May you too enjoy life’s rich harvest.