The creative entrepreneur and craft camp

I hear people say all the time that Craftcation changed their life. That they found their people here. That they finally felt like they belonged.

I love hearing that. But I don’t think I realized until recently how much Craftcation did the same thing for me.

I grew up feeling other. I was the creative weirdo. I talked too much. I was into things the other kids weren’t. While everyone else seemed to know how to fit in, I was reading poetry, hanging out in cafés, smoking clove cigarettes and dreaming about getting the hell out of Orange County.

Then in high school, I found a group of girls who didn’t just accept my weirdness—they appreciated it. Almost 40 years later, they’re still some of my closest friends.

I’ve found other people along the way, but Craftcation gave me that feeling again.

This year I turned 50. Which came with A LOT of feelings, so naturally I gathered some people I love and went to fuck around in Las Vegas.

And almost everyone who came into my life because of Craftcation.

We laughed. We cried. We adventured. I watched people who never would have known each other become friends. And somewhere in the middle of it, I realized:

Without Craftcation, I wouldn’t be here with these people.

This thing we created to help creative people find community had given me one, too.

So many of my friendships, ideas, inspiration and favorite memories exist because Craftcation brought people into my life I might never have met otherwise.

And THAT is the magic I want everyone to experience.

It’s why we started Neighborhood Hangouts—FREE get-togethers happening in multiple cities on the same day. Because a few hours crafting at a café or meeting for drinks might not be a weekend in Vegas, but it might be where you meet someone you were supposed to know. (Info + RSVP at the link in bio!)

I think some of us will always feel a little other.

But when you find your people, being different doesn’t feel quite so lonely.

It feels like belonging. ❤️ Thank you @leannicorn @jarett_glodt_rocks @janetmcgraw @craftamoto @rjsaylor for helping me ring in this b-day. 😘