Leaning In: A Call to Slow Down and Live Real

If there is one word that could encompass much of what I strive to highlight at Mayhen Press that word would be “real”. Real art created by hand, tangible, useful products that can encourage us to connect with others and place beauty all around us. In a world where we are increasingly told to “simplify” our lives by having everything on an app, online, in the cloud and scannable I, and many others, have found ourselves reaching for something real. This is marked by a longing to feel our lives again. To be able to touch and taste beauty, quality and everyday moments. It's found in a slower pace, yes, but also in our choices. The choice to live a practical and useful life (which sometimes requires tech) but still have it filled with beauty, tangibility, and more foundational moments that are away from screens. 

I’ve been on a longer break from the Mayhen Press shop than I’d anticipated as my family and I have moved across the US. However, this time has been a blessing in disguise as it has given me time to think about what I’ve been creating lately and what I’d like to create going forward. 

Mayhen Press has always been about “small magic in the everyday” and this time of thinking about forward direction has made me realize that I want to lean in even more to that motto. Not just having products inspired by that motto but creating content to encourage people to live a life to the fullest extent - a life full of good food, connection with family and friends and analog, tactile experiences in every part of our days.

More than ever we are losing touch with what’s going on around us as we stare into our phones. When was the last time you waited for something and… just waited. You allowed thoughts to come and go and you took in what was going on around you instead of scrolling? Filling every minute of our lives and not allowing our minds any downtime leaves us feeling overstimulated and exhausted. 

Let's create a community where beauty is celebrated, analog is prioritized and where we end up living lives that we remember.

Lives full of shared experiences, noticing, honing our skills, learning new things and prioritizing beauty. Let’s create an existence where we find ourselves slowing down to make a good meal (homemade spaghetti sauce that's been simmering for hours), mending our favorite sweater instead of tossing it, reading in the evening, playing games with our family and friends and getting outside as much as we can. A life full of intention, filled with the genuine, the beautiful, the joyful and the simple. Join me in the push to create more of what we love in our lives and in the world! 

So, through the Mayhen Press blog, the Mayhen Press SubStack and Instagram and the occasional YouTube video I will be bringing you suggestions, tips, tutorials, recommendations, illustrated creative content, and guides to help all of us live a life we can remember - rooted in the idea that the little, everyday things are the most magical and a lifetime is made up of small moments. Rest assured all of this will still have plenty of the beautiful patterns and art work that you’ve already been enjoying through Mayhen!

I’m so excited to put more content like this out there and if there is anything in particular that you would like to see please comment and let me know! Also, if you know of anyone who would like to be a part of this community that we are creating please forward this post to them! 

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                                     Warmly,