Like many, I talk to myself. I have conversations with myself, which help me conceptualize what is really going on be it, in my mind or around me. These thoughts and conversations eventually get written down to help organize myself. Lately, I have been feeling the transition from recent graduate to a business owner. As I have always been one to rebel against conventionalism, being my own boss, beside my sister, is truly liberating. Although this is what I have strived to achieve for so long, I sometimes still feel the pressure of what we 'should conventionally' be doing which for me, creates a feeling of constriction. I need to feel it before I do it. That is, I need to feel it in my gut before going ahead with something. I use this blog as my sounding board – it keeps me grounded – but lately I haven’t felt the desire to blog mainly because I was feeling it was something I ‘had’ to do. I tend to set unrealistic expectations for myself, which is often what we all do, so I decided to do what made us start Vincent in the first place: Sit and reflect. It is then that juices start to flow; when you just create space for it and invite them to come. Rather than fill my head with expectations, I try to just let it be. My main focus right now is to challenge ourselves in deciding how we are going to nurture the development of Vincent; after all, this store is virtually our child. We want Vincent to be a space of inspiration, one that jolts your innate creative talent, and acts as a place of decompression. So what does that really all mean? How are we going to do this?
Be Unconventional Well firstly, we made the big step by being on Preston Street. When you think of Preston, good eats is the first thing that comes to mind but now, it has become so much more! Preston is filled with specialty family run businesses that exude the true sense of entrepreneurship. That is what we want to be a part of and why we opened the store.
Trust Instinct I want us to run on instinct rather than trend. My (our) best ideas come when I am not even trying to find them. I guess that’s how it is supposed to work. It is my intention this year to listen to my inner voice, that gut I mentioned earlier. This will account for every area of life even when we are out buying. Our decisions are driven by conversations with customers on what is missing or need in their closets or what they have seen in their travels. Clothes literally live in people’s lives. Building relationships with our customers only makes us better at what we do, for you. We act as your eyes and ears of the fashion industry and bringing it to you in a catered and simple way.
Collaborate Partner with like-minded people. There is not enough time and resources to do all that you want to do alone. By building relationships and connecting with people who share the same belief system of creativity, the sky is the limit and it is SO much fun! We have some projects in the works where the whole purpose is to just create. What a beautiful thing. I have heard once that creating is like praying; it gets you closer to yourself and the universe. Until all of our creative projects are ready to share, I hope these words have sparked your thoughts or creative fire that lies within.
