GUIDED BY ANGELS
Abigail Spong, Claude Monet, eBay, and lent
SAVOR KINDNESS BECAUSE CRUELTY IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE LATER
Today is Ash Wednesday and I was just banned on Twitter again – despite Elon’s heady claims, I guess free speech isn’t back on the platform. I’ve been considering giving up Twitter for Lent so maybe this is what I need. Or maybe I need to be even more online? The jury is still out.
My coworker made an attempt at camaraderie with me this week after I disclosed I was Croatian as apparently, he is too — this was a mistake. He described our people as “stoic, observant, and stubborn” which, while accurate, made me shudder with embarrassment because he is the last type of person with whom I would ever like to share something in common.
My training ends next week — thank God.
WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME OF UNPRECEDENTED CHANGE
As the downtown scene continues to evolve and expand, Abigail Spong has already cemented herself as an integral player in the community with Dusk Market, a series of collaborative community events which have drawn crowds from all over the Valley. With four wildly successful markets under her belt, she has decided to undertake an entirely new challenge: a brick-and-mortar store to house a variety of wares carefully curated with grace and intention. After finally securing a space, GRID will be soft launching at the hybrid gallery and coffee shop Aftermarket from March 10th to April 2nd.
What challenges have you faced coordinating large-scale community events, starting a new business, and maintaining a full-time job?
With Dusk, I conveniently started out small with only 12 vendors at our first event, and pretty much doubled each time. It made it digestible and gave me confidence for the next event ahead. I think with any endeavor it’s important to give yourself grace and know that hiccups are inevitable. I like to think of myself as a very solution-oriented person, so I think problem-solving just comes naturally to me. I don’t feel intimidated easily, in fact, I feel like this giant helium balloon full of dreams that my friends have to pull down every once in a while. Ask for help (My dear friend Cat told me recently that people love being asked to help. As humans we gain this special sense of fulfillment each time we’re able to lend our hand or expertise. I think that’s sweet). Embrace failure with wide open arms. Stay curious. There’s no stagnancy when you let go of the need to know everything.
When starting a new business, don’t think immediately about what you want it to look like. Think instead about what you want it to FEEL like. There’s a huge difference. My favorite restaurants I’ve ever been to often don’t just lure me in with the food, but the ways in which I connect with the space and its people. (Can you tell I’m a water sign?) I think one of the most challenging things about starting a business is injecting authenticity, right? Because as soon as you fall into the legitimate and legal processes, you might easily find yourself sucked out of the heart of it all. Finding that balance is critical.
I feel very lucky to have the day job that I do. I’m a writer and I work from home. I don’t feel soul-tied to my 9-5 — I can close my computer at the end of the day and not think about work until I open my laptop back up the next. I think it fuels my other pathways in a really special way.
What goes into the decision-making process behind the curatorial aspect of Grid? How do you find/choose brands that you connect with/want to stock?
Biiiiiiiig Instagram girlie over here. And not even for the social aspect, but to see beautiful objects and spaces that don’t exist here in my hometown. You know how you get into a YouTube hole where you just keep clicking the suggested videos on the right-hand side? For about a year I’ve been doing that on Instagram. I go to brands’ or stores’ pages that I really like and see what designers they’re following and so on. The follower count dwindles but the design, quality, and ideas aren’t sacrificed. I’ve always been drawn to research; hence the 117 google tabs I probably have open at this very moment.
Also! Believing in your friends and peers. We have some incredibly fucking talented people here in Phoenix. Give them resources, give them platforms, give them flowers.
What was the catalyst for deciding to open a brick-and-mortar space?
I fucking hate online shopping. In fact, it’s the bane of my existence. I’m a hands-on person, huge on feeling. I can’t buy a t-shirt without examining the fabric first. I can’t take a leap and purchase a fragrance if I haven’t tested it on my skin for 24 hours. I also love gathering. I think now more than ever we need safe in-person rituals. Basking in energy and ambiance is unmatched. Grid had to be a physical space, there was no other way.
When did you know you were ready to make that leap?
I’ve dreamed of owning a shop for as long as I could remember, but I always knew the timing and the space had to be just right. The building had to be historic, big windows, lots of light, nothin’ fancy. I had a couple of spots fall through along the way but always trusted the process. I also think that the greatest ideas can bend, mold, adapt, and shapeshift into a million different things. I think the most sustainable businesses are ones that are multifaceted, and everchanging.
What have you learned about the process of starting a small business that you would want to share with anyone interested in doing the same?
There’s a mantra I tell myself every day, “everything I want is already mine.” When I conjure up something, it’s mine. I’ve called it in and so it is. I think when you share your purest ideas with the world, the ones that are derived from the deepest parts of you, they have no choice but to come to fruition. They’re destined to be alive because they’re a part of you. (:
Don’t think about what everyone else is doing, what everyone else might like. Do YOU like it? Yes, good. Fuck the rest.
I'M SLAMMING THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR WON’T STOP
I will expound upon my opinions on Lent in the coming weeks but I will be limiting my alcohol intake to zero and deleting my food delivery apps in celebration of the coming Easter. Any serious person should be incorporating some kind of fasting, whether as a religious practice or a personal act of restraint, it is essential to allow space and time for suffering in pursuit of a greater self. Suffering is essential to the human condition and should (must) not be avoided in a time of hedonism and unprecedented convenience.
SOMETIMES UNDERNEATH THE SURFACE IS JUST MORE SURFACE
I have a number of amusing but ultimately useless skills in my repertoire, chief among them my ability to deftly navigate eBay. Here are a few selections from my pride, my joy – my Watchlist.
— @shannon
Vintage Seiko duffle bag, made in the USA
I have a couple of vintage Seikos and they are some of my favorite watches. It’s always good to have a duffle bag handy for weekend trips or pool days; this one is both cool and functional.
Vintage yellow Empire State Games track jacket
I’m a firm believer that track jackets look good with almost anything. I have more than my fair share (too many actually) but I’m always on the hunt for more.
Vintage Japanese Sony ICF-A10 radio
Most alarm clocks are ugly – this one is not. I love the size and the simplicity of the design.
Vintage Japanese hand-painted candle holders
Taper candles are very chic. I love looking for different candlestick holders; these would be a nice accent piece on a coffee or kitchen table.
New York City restaurant Zucca’s Italian Garden postcard
A vintage postcard makes a great gift and there are tons to choose from on eBay. I have a soft spot for the used ones because I love reading the notes people wrote on them.
I AM WHAT I AM… TO LOOK FOR REASONS IS BESIDE THE POINT
In 1912, Claude Monet was diagnosed with a nuclear cataract in both eyes, a condition that is reflected in his later work. His paintings showed a change, with whites, greens, and blues shifting towards “muddier” purple and yellow tones.
Some of his paintings of water lilies and willows, completed in the period between 1918 and 1922, perfectly demonstrate the effect of his eye condition. In fact, Monet’s work became increasingly more abstract after 1915, with pronounced usage of red and yellow tones splashed across the canvas with large brush strokes. His signature sense of atmosphere and light disappeared, along with the light blues that defined his earlier work. He lamented the way the cataracts impacted his perception of color, as reds became murky, dull pinks and green shifted to a flat yellow.
German ophthalmologist Richard Liebreich recommended cataract surgery to correct the right eye but the painter refused, saying
I prefer to make the most of my poor sight and even give up painting if necessary, but at least be able to see a little of these things that I love.
As the condition progressed he grew increasingly unhappy with his work and its darker shift, attempting to offset the effects by labeling his palettes and tubes of paint. Despite his reservations about the surgery (likely fueled by the unsuccessful procedures conducted on his contemporaries Honore Daumier and Mary Cassatt), in 1923, at the age of 82, the painter finally underwent two eye surgeries. Distraught, he tried to rip off the bandages from his eyes. In a letter to his surgeon Charles Coutela, he lamented:
I am sorry that I ever decided to go ahead with that fatal operation. Excuse me for being so frank and allow me to say that I think it’s criminal to have placed me in such a predicament.
To his friend March Elder, Monet said:
In the end, I was forced to recognize that I was spoiling [the paintings], that I was no longer capable of doing anything good. So I destroyed several of my panels. Now I’m almost blind, and I have to abandon work altogether. It’s hard, but that’s the way it is. A woeful end.
HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH
FIRST OF THE GANG TO DIE
That’s it for this week – you can anticipate this once a week with a similar format and varying genres of content. Please subscribe, comment, and share.
If you ever want to discuss anything featured in these dispatches, please email me direct: hello@tylerhasagun.com
Very excited about Grid and this newsletter <3