Courage & Vision

Ideas are the precursors to vision. You start with the nub of an idea, a concept, that you believe in and build on it. Revival’s was just a thought and it didn’t have a name. It was the idea that as a fiber artist whether it was sewing, quilting, embroidery, rug hooking, weaving were all orphaned and were easy for others to set aside as hobby’s, or yarn things, lots of comments from people who have no clue about the joys involved in creating something or giving something you made away to loved ones or folks that had a need. The quilt that is shown is the very first quilt I ever made. It has lots of newbie quilter errors but that doesn’t take away the love it was created with. I called it perfectly imperfect. I gave it to my granddaughter Jasmine. She is my first grandchild and this was my first quilt both very special. Most people I have met over the years, before I ever started down this path - myself included, don’t think about the where of things. the ease of pulling something off a shelf, taking it to the register, and just paying for it is something that we take for granted. I know the designers I like or the quality I was looking for but the thought of actually producing something that I could be proud of was just not really on my radar. Then we moved to Indiana. I didn’t know anyone but my sister in law and her family. It was lonely and I missed our friends and neighbors from our last post. I felt lost but I did what I have done at every new location. I pulled up my boot straps and I joined the YMCA. From there I got involved with Leadership Kokomo, VFW Post 1152, BSP Sorority and I attended local craft shows because my sister in law and her friends in Granny Bees were very active in the local guilds and groups so I got curious and I soaked it all up. I have learned so much about the women and men that I have met along the way. The talent I have seen is incredible and the joy of being with the women I meet with cannot be overstated. The take away over the years has been how taken for granted the fiber arts are. They are easily moved from meeting places and many bounce from location to location. I decided that it was time we had a place to call our own. Its easy enough to speak passionately about something you love to others. I have been working diligently to ensure that we have a place to meet and its a slow painful process when dealing with bureaucracies. The politics involved in establishing something new was not something I figured into my idea. I had an interview with a panel of individuals once and I came in prepared. Having looked at the website, organization structure, financials that were in the public domain and with a 30-60-90 prepared I engaged with these individuals so they could see where I wanted to be within the given windows of days. I answered their questions and then they asked if I had any. My first question to them was this “What keeps you up at night in regards to this organizations?” It caught them completely by surprise. Typically interviewees ask about compensation packages, pay, etc. I moved on to discuss what I found in my research about them and areas where I thought I would be valuable to them. I never got that job. I cannot say I wasn’t irritated considering how carefully I approached my research. The problem, you see, was I was a new graduate from my MBA program. Because I didn’t have experience in Running a Not For Profit it was decided that it was too much of a risk for them to take at that time. I did find out however I had given them something to think about because of the way I approached the invitation to meet with them. It takes courage to put yourself out there. I am a fighter. I believe that if it comes to easily you might have to take a step back and reevaluate. The idea behind Revival’s and the vision of what I can see as its future is what keeps me going. I recently had the Indiana state Fire Marshall go through my building. I will tell you I was really worried he wouldn’t be able to see what I saw. It was probably the most nervous I have been during the cleaning up and demo I have been. He told me he could see why I picked the building and he gave me occupancy levels that I am completely happy with. I needed that little bit of confirmation and it helped fuel my hope about the future of this project. I have made alterations as needed and adjusted the business plan to accommodate issues I had not foreseen but were pointed out to me. I refuse to give up on my vision for Revival’s. I believe God has a plan for all of us. He has a plan for this business and I am working through the hiccups with him beside me. He’s a great partner and he gives me courage to continue.