For the past two weeks, I have been hanging out in Raleigh, North Carolina. The last time I visited Raleigh, it was to work on a series of shoots for Wild Measure / Clyde Oak. Both Trips were fantastic opportunities to collaborate with dear friends, and to explore a city, of which I had long heard amazing stories.
I think Raleigh has become one of my favorite cities to visit, because it is full of people who inspire me. Corey and Shelly Mason... Enuma Okoro... the exuberant Lisa Yuboah... and my dearest Zambo and Minda ... all of these call the Raleigh area home. These gifted writers, thinkers, and passionate creatives are all powerful forces in my life- encouraging me to live boldly.
One of the goals of this trip was (as you can plainly see) to re-design the Culture Keeper site. Jordan Dale Young (of Mimeograph) as well as Mike and Megan Gilger (of The Fresh Exchange) were all extremely patient with me, as they guided me through the process. They have the ability to teach me all sorts of new things, and yet make me feel as if I was able to do it all along. Learning from them is always empowering. Whenever we are in the same place, my productivity doubles. So the new site is (almost) finished, and Jordan has a few tricks up his sleeve for Culture Keeper- namely he is designing a Culture Keeper guide, which will be published soon, and a series of curated boxes I will be sending your way.
Days and Nights spent with Mike, Megan, and Jordan always include dancing, coffee, exploration and mischief. One particularly rainy day, we spent a few hours cavorting around Raleigh in search of treasures. We started off with coffee and treats at Yellow Dog ... met up with Jordan to explore the magical chaos of Askew-Taylor (perhaps the most amazing art supply shop I have ever seen) .... we continued on to our favorite antique store Father and Sons, and spend a few hours perusing there 3 floors of records, vintage clothing, and art .... We rested with Tea and baklava at a Turkish resturaunt.... strolled around the town poking about in various boutiques, before returning home for naps, and yes, more blogging. (we never stop). Be sure to check out Megan's post about this exact day!
Raleigh a charming mix of Old-South and New-opportunities. Last Friday I had the opportunity to attend my first Creative Mornings session there. If you are a creative type- you should definitely check to see if there is a CM group in your city. It was a great chance to hear an artist's story, and meet a lot of the rad folks who are shaking things up.
This trip has me extremely grateful... for the kindness and hospitality of friends... for people who believe in me... for the opportunity to spend time with so many people I love. Now I am back in Chicago / Northern Indiana for a few weeks until I HEAD BACK TO PARIS! Stay tuned for new projects as I roll them out in the new Culture Keeper shop (which should be up and rolling in the next week)
All the images in this post were captured by the incomparable Mike Gilger... you should follow his Instagram.