#MarchMeetTheMaker - Part 1 (Take 2!)
On Friday March, 13th we released the first of a two-part blog introducing you all to The LOFT at CECE DuPRAZ: a space to CONNECT, CREATE + COLLABORATE. We had a series of workshops ready to go; events geared towards bringing women together outside the normal atmosphere of “dinner and drinks”. But then our world was turned upside down and everything came to a screeching halt. “Cancelled”, “Social Distancing”, “Corona Virus” and “Covid - 19” - these phrases all of a sudden flooded our newsfeeds and news stations and now there is simply no escape. First it affected sporting events and concerts, then schools, businesses - big and small, and everything in between. Nothing is off limits to this pandemic that is sweeping across the world and it is impossible to continue our series without mentioning the sheer devastation it is wreaking on small businesses like ours, not to mention the economy as a whole.
Part 2 of #MarchMeetTheMaker was going to be all about Kate and Marion’s trip to Palm Beach and the Stoney Clover Lane trunk show they were going to be a part of. We were going to tell stories of other female founded businesses, including pictures and soundbites taken from a weekend away connecting, creating and collaborating. But all of that changed and ordinary life as we know it came crashing down. No longer are we allowed to collectively come together and the idea of having to physically distance ourselves from each other is a tough pill to swallow. Meetings are held over Zoom and FaceTime and it will be a long while until we can rightfully and properly introduce you all to The LOFT. So what do we do? Life has to move forward in order to continue to grow and move on (because believe me, no one wants to be stuck in this purgatory). Now is the time when we need to pick ourselves up by our bootstraps, adapt and continue to tredge onward in this new world until business as usual resumes.
One thing I have noticed over the last 2 ½ weeks is, despite the fact that we are wading in a pool of uncertainty riddled with fear and anxiety, we are all in this together; not one person or group is immune to the downward spiral that humanity is facing right now. I think it is only natural - even for adults of all ages - to look for guidance in places of familiarity, and for me, I recall Mr. Rogers saying: when scary things are happening in the world, “look for the helpers, you will always find people who are helping”. The communities that have rallied around each other in this time are nothing short of remarkable. Aside from the miracle workers in the healthcare industry, you have the grocery store employees working harder than they ever have, the delivery truck drivers ushering goods at all hours of the day and night to make sure stores are stocked, the teachers (oh my goodness, there are not enough words to express our gratitude to our teachers), businesses of all kinds donating time and resources to help everyone they can.
We at CECE DuPRAZ also are finding ways to help each other. With a purchase of Our Custom Tote Art Kits we are donating 100% of the profits to No Kid Hungry. In times of angst I think it is only natural to seek solace in something that brings happiness, so we want to continue to spark joy by telling you all about the many female makers and founders we know who could use all of our help. We need to rally around these inspiring women creators by sharing their stories and spreading their word in order to congratulate and support one another. And it is clear in these trying times, that now more than ever we need to connect with each other, create with each other and collaborate with each other; and any moment where we can experience joy and offer help, we need to embrace them fully because those are two things that won’t be cancelled. Even though we needed to push pause on physically bringing you all to The LOFT at CECE DuPRAZ, and we will still continue to connect, create and collaborate in more innovative ways - so stay tuned, and in the meantime, please allow us to reintroduce ourselves.
“Necessity is the mother of invention.” - Plato
Some of you may have noticed a change in the air; not just the fumbling temperatures but perhaps a redesign of a familiar face. If you have followed the clues you might have seen moving boxes, nostalgic posts, and scenes of a half-put together large and beautifully bright room. It is because we are THRILLED to announce the opening of the LOFT at CECE DuPRAZ: a place to CREATE, CONNECT + COLLABORATE. This new open loft space is meant to help us evolve into an environment where we all can connect with one another on so many different levels. After our success hosting a series of workshops with a local pal, we realized the need for a larger space; one part meant to house all of our in-house production, fulfillment, and storage for CECE DuPRAZ; and one part, a space to create and collaborate with the large number of innovative women in our community. Collectively, we have noticed this paradigm shift in the way we women live our lives and present ourselves to the world, and we want to continue to fuel this desire to support our passions and engage with each other outside of the traditions that have been done before.
With the necessity to grow internally, CECE DuPRAZ has thus had to grow physically; and as the world works in mysterious ways, this beautiful loft space in The Marblehead Boatyard, a mere 2 floors above us, was available. And as cosmically as it would be, this long and narrow 49’ x 17’ room was once the space where sailmakers sat at their sewing machines, making sails; very fitting that years later we will continue this tradition in a newer, more modern medium. To honor #MarchMeetTheMaker we want to introduce and welcome you all to engage with some of our inspirational makers. While we had a series of creative workshops for you all to be a part of, we clearly needed to put those on the shelf until it is safe to do so. In the meantime, please consider supporting some of the amazing female makers we will continue to highlight, so stay tuned!
Our treat to you:
New Patch Totes
Let’s keep those little munchkins smiling by surprising them with one of our Lighting Bolt and Rainbow Totes!
**Use code: JOY to receive 20% off of your lighting bolt or rainbow tote purchase, valid through March 31st.
