Recycled. Reused. Re-Imagined.

I love it when I see people transform old items into something new. I once saw someone make a trash can out of old magazines and newspapers, and I was floored with inspiration. Of course, that was over 13 years ago, but I recently thought about it when I was looking over the remains from my closed small business. Yes, I was a part of the small business

boom that started around 2019. "The small businesses that didn't last". I know that's what you were probably thinking. I do not regret the experience at all. But there, in my office studio space, in a plastic drawer, sat 100+ "Oopsies" that I needed to discard. Yet I couldn't just let them go to the trash. I had spent the previous 5 years cultivating a business that I loved, that others supported, and that was a pivotal

point in my self-discovery journey. In that same thought, I didn't want to hoard trash that was no longer useful to me. So, I sat with my thoughts and emotions and decided to create an art piece through which I could express my feelings of roots, love, and purpose; a piece of art in ode to my home state.

This art piece stirred something up in me that had me wanting to reimagine a pile of

things that I've had sitting around. Fortunately, they've been functional pieces that have brought color to my space. Now, I am determined to make this a part of my decluttering routine as a way to limit the trash I create.

Here's my YouTube playlist sharing my Recycled, Reused, Re-imagined items.

Until next time,

Alisha