Thank you to Artisan Made Decor and Gifts for sharing this! You can see the full article and photos here.

"In a world filled with lots of external noise coming at us from all directions, it can be difficult to listen to that inner voice that is trying to help you find your way. Our next Maker heard that voice, and heeded it’s call. Meet Melissa Oesch, the creator and owner behind Re-Imagined by Luna. She tells us of her story... “In college, someone asked if I wanted to learn book-binding. I have always been drawn to books. I read them voraciously growing up — as a way to travel, escape and imagine. I've also kept a journal since I was six years old, using it to reflect and process, even at that young age. So, the idea of creating a book to write in was appealing. The invitation was to an evening workshop where we learned to bind using the Coptic stitch. When I finished, I swore I would never make another book. It took more patience than I anticipated and was the floppiest book ever. Little did I know…. I started entertaining the idea of beginning a book-making business while I was working on an organic vegetable farm. I remember thinking, "What if I could DO this?" I knew the only way to find out was to try. The name for the business had already been given to me. It came one night when I was reflecting on the past few difficult years. A lot had happened that made me fearful of the future. I felt like I had been holding my breath waiting for some relief. It was that night that the word "re-imagine" was given to me. I had the poignant thought that I needed to re-imagine the way my life could be rather than assuming that it would always be the way it had been. It could be more wonderful than I had ever thought. I could not shake this concept. At the time, I was creating journals out of vintage book covers and recycled paper. The word "re-imagine" continued to echo inside me even in regards to beginning a business. It shouted to me that I was capable and quietly reiterated my desire to be eco-friendly through "re-imagining" my materials."

Have you ever had so many hard things happen in life that you begin to expect that it will always be that way?  Maybe you walk around holding your breath waiting for the next difficult thing to happen...

I did that for a very long time.  Growing up was all about survival.  I learned this from my parents who were just trying to “make it”.  There were many difficulties growing up, but once I left for college, it all got considerably worse.  There was a year and a half climax where mom left dad, my dad shut down completely, and my brother who was 2 years younger had to be admitted to multiple psych wards.   While things seemed like they could not get worse, they did.  It culminated on June 8^th 2004 when my brother completed suicide.   It was devastating as well as slightly ironic as my dad was always the one to talk about wanting to die.  Instead, my 19 year old brother had opted out early. I had already planned a trip to Europe that summer before everything happened and decided to still go.  I recall sitting on that plane in a state of shock, reflecting on what had just happened a few weeks prior.  I found myself thinking, “Dad chooses to live as though he is dead, my brother chose to die….I want to choose to live.”  I knew from my observations that I wanted to do life differently.  I wanted to actually engage and LIVE my life. The years that have followed are filled with their own stories of learning how to shake off what I was taught and learn what it means to actually live my life. 

It was a few years after my brother's passing that the word “re-imagine” became important.  At the time, I was working with adult women at an eating disorder facility.  I was watching how severely these women were being haunted and controlled by their past…to the point of self-abuse, self-rejection, and deep self-loathing.   Trying to convey to any of them that life was worth living was quite a task.  After those days at work, I’d go home, make a cup of tea, and journal for hours.  I was proccessing a lot of their pain and self-abuse, but it was also highlighting for me my own hurt and self-rejection.   It slowly became more evident that I was still holding my breath on my own life.  I was still waiting for the next hard thing to happen.  My past had taught me that this was how life went:  something hard will happen and then it will get worse… when you think it couldn’t get any worse, it will.  I vividly remember lying in bed one evening when the word “re-imagine” first came.  I repeated it over and over.  That is what I needed!  I needed to re-imagine how my life could be rather than basing it on how it always had been.  It could be different.  I needed to breathe and give my life permission to be better.  I’ve now re-imagined countless areas of my life, but I began with small steps.  I gave myself permission for life to be different and recognized that it could be an option to not always feel stressed and hurt.  With that, came breathing more deeply, no longer holding my breath, and slowing down to look at the reality of my life rather than staying busy in an attempt to ignore it. 

When I began thinking of a business name, I continued to not be able to shake this word.  I was very much into eco-friendly practices and using repurposed materials.  It easily worked as a name since I “re-imagine” how materials could be used rather than throwing them away.  However, there is that much deeper aspect and reminder to me to keep re-imagining my life and to fully live.   

In what ways have you or are you re-imagining your life?