This month we had the pleasure of chatting with artisan, Nicole Holley the designer behind Lennon and Birdie. Get to know more about her inspiring day to day routine and creative process.
Describe your morning routine for us:
Usually my youngest is awake first full of kisses and cuddles, we open every curtain in the house to let the morning light in. Once everyone is up we start the day off with some kind of fruity breakfast ( and coffee) If it's a school day, I pack up lunches and get the girls ready and out the door. I have about 2 hours in the morning I set aside for creating.
Tell us a bit about how you started your business?
Simply the need to create. The spiralling dreams in my mind and the urge to materialize those dreams. Lennon and Birdie is the home of my imagination. It's where I can create freely with no expectations. My hands just truly ache to create. When folks started to feel my work and reach out to me it was this crazy mind blowing thing that I can't even put into words. And since then it's honestly just grown organically. I have a head over heels love affair with handmade pieces. I started at my kitchen table almost 8 years ago. It's not always easy to fit it in with two young children but It just feeds my soul!
What advice you would give to fellow small business entrepreneurs?
Before anything else, do it for you. Be authentic to your vision and be honest with yourself. Don't get caught up in what everyone else is doing, the right people will be drawn to at the right time!
What are some guiding values that inspire your decisions and space that you hold every day?
We talk a lot about gratitude in our home. We're lucky to be who and where we are in life, together in this moment as a family. We're forever chasing that slow living dream...It's something I feel very strongly about. It's a mindset that gently guides you through the everyday, taking in the moments, making time for each other, surrounding ourselves with likeminded families and friends, spending any spare time out doors, shopping locally and supporting small businesses. It all makes a difference! Energy is contagious, send out good energy and like a boomerang it will find its way back to you. Kindness can go a really long way.
What do you hope to see in the world 5 years from now?
I truly hope that we're learning from our mistakes. I hope for us to be better educated on what is happening around the globe, to produce and consume more ethically. I think the last few years have been a real eye opener. It's scary but sometimes it's that rawness in the ugly truth that shakes us and wakes us up! I do have HOPE that we can move forward and come together. There is more light in the world then darkness. And that's what we choose to focus on.
You can follow along Nicole's creative journey via Instagram @lennonandbirdiehandmade
You can shop her beautiful designs in store at our boutique in Squamish, BC.
