All of a Sudden, Aha!
It doesn’t always look the way you expect it to. I never expected to start an accessory business, let alone one as niche as feather crown trucker hats. I just wanted something that I could channel some creative energy into. Something productive. I would look at makers on social media in complete awe. Men and women who create beautiful wearable art. Whether silversmithing, bespoke felt cowboy hats or an apparel line geared towards a particular cause. It was all fascinating, engaging and left me feeling like maybe I could do that too.
But I also have ADHD. In fact, I only got diagnosed last month, despite realizing all the signs over the past year or so. I’m in my late 30s. It has been a personal whirlwind to say the least, but this pertains to a side hustle/passion project business in that my brain needed something rather quick to pick up that was also low stakes. If I really hated it, I needed the exit strategy to be clear and concise. And maybe that is a weird thing to admit on a blog on my website, but also, if you’re someone who has a brain that is low on dopamine, you’ll likely relate. I have an insatiable curiosity about the world around me, and a deep need to somehow reflect the beauty I experience back for humanity to receive. It feels like a form of worship to my Creator, a way of honoring the life I have been given.
When I saw the ringed-neck pheasant feathers at the trading company in Sedona, I knew in my core there was something there for me. I have been drawn to Western wear and the lifestyle of cowboys more and more over the last decade. I was raised adjacent to this world, and raised harvesting my own food, but adult life pulled me away from it. As I continue in my adult life and raise my own kids, I have found myself drawn back to the natural rhythms of the world around me. I suppose this whole thing shouldn’t really be a surprise, when I stop and think about it.
I immediately loved the feather crown trucker hats I saw, also. And then I did what most ADHDers do and thought: “how hard can it be?” (It turns out theres a bit of nuance to get past…) It was all of a sudden like a large “Aha!” set off in my brain. I ordered a trucker hat online, bought some glue, and gave it a whirl. The first go wasn’t great, but I’m learning and growing. I’m more proud of each new design I make, and more excited to share this with more people as I get further into it. I hope to consistently make things I am proud of, use some parts of animals that are normally just disposed of, and maybe bring a little flair into the lives of people who wear these things.