One of the coolest parts of our business is the chance for us to meet and connect with so many of the creative minds from across the Sierra. From Reno to Mammoth Lakes, Tahoe to Grass Valley, getting to know the real people behind the brands is always an honor, and one of our main goals with this blog is to help you give you a behind-the-scenes look of their stories.
To celebrate Mother’s Day, we want to spend a little time shining a spotlight on a few of the absolutely incredible creative mamas we’re lucky enough to work with! We reached out to ask them to share a little about the way their little ones inspire them, fuel them, and bring them joy in the creative process.
BRYN MERRELL ART
Bryn is a locally based artist who works with a variety of mediums to capture a little bit of nature’s splendor. Much of her inspiration comes from real-world locations that she explores herself, and those explorations haven’t stopped now that the family has added a little one to the crew! She often takes her daughter out to soak in the beauty and the good vibes, showing her glimpses of our stunning little corner of the world.
KDASHRAE CREATIONS
Kellie-Rae of Kdashrae Creations is a local pyrography artist whose freehanded designs are burned into the surfaces of wooden utensils, furniture, journals and more. We first connected with her last summer at the Night Market, and it’s been a joy to get to know her more! She shared the following with us about being a maker and mother:
“One of my favorite things is when my son gets to join me during my creative process while making items, whether its small biz related, gifts, or even in the kitchen. We've had watercolor day where I'm working on a custom tabletop and he has all the papers to paint on right next to me. Every day he asks what he can help me make for dinner (his fave is mac ‘n cheese and broccoli).
“I'm able to incorporate these moments into our homeschooling and life lessons, which is awesome! I can't wait to see what creative avenues he wants to try as he gets older. Maybe he'll have Creative ADHD like me and want to try new things all the time!”
Kellie also explained that one of her favorite aspects of being a mom in the small biz scene is meeting the other mothers, and bonding/sharing stories. In addition to art being a form of therapy, chatting with other moms is that extra feeling of "this is why I love doing this stuff!" Connecting and uplifting each other makes it all matter.
BEAUTIFULLY CREATED ART
Jessica from Beautifully Created Art is the master of carefully collaging pressed dried botanicals and flowers into gorgeous original artwork, creating animals, landscapes, and scenes out of nature’s bounty. She shared a photo with us of her and her daughter during a visit to the shop, and the following about creative motherhood:
“Balancing motherhood and artwork can be quite challenging. My creative time (and administrative time) is now in small chunks of nap time and when someone watches my daughter, but it is also a beautiful season in life. My daughter loves visiting the art galleries and shops with me to re-stock and excitedly names the birds and animals featured in my artwork. She even helps me press flowers! I look forward to involving her more in my creative process in the future and seeing what she in turn creates!”
BELLADROPS JEWELRY
Gladys with BellasDrops has been a member of the Wyld family since early days, and her brass-and-leather creations are still some of our favorites. She plays with form and color in eye-catching ways, and pours so much passion into each unique piece. In addition to creative inspiration, she also hopes her business inspires them to reach for their own great heights, saying:
“BellaDrops Jewelry was named after my oldest daughter, Bella, when I was pregnant with her in 2007! Over the years, BellaDrops went from being my passionate hobby to a main source of income! I’ve had the pleasure of teaching my daughters through my small business that they can also be entrepreneurs, leaders, or whoever they want to be! As a single mother, I believe it’s important to instill and encourage my daughters to be creative, independent and driven women that have the grit necessary to be successful in life. Being their mother is my most important job and they inspire me every day!”
GSE LEÓN
If you’ve been by the shop, you’ve likely seen the gorgeous macrame pieces from Gse Leon. She’s a talented local fiber artist and creator who often has her little one with her when she stops by to make a delivery. She shared:
“As a fiber artist and a mom to one energetic little whirlwind, my world is a vibrant tapestry of creativity (and chaos!). I love taking my kiddo from the yarn store to my gallery shows, teaching him the value of hard work along the way. The other day, he looked at one of my pieces and said, “Wow, Mama made that. It is beautiful,” and I couldn’t hold back the tears. In that moment, the chaos and creative process felt so worth it! My child is my ultimate muse—whether they’re “helping” me sort yarn or turning my art studio into their personal playground, they remind me that inspiration often lies in the most unexpected places. I’m thrilled to be part of the Wandering Wyld community, where we celebrate the beautiful (and sometimes hilarious) journey of motherhood and creativity!”
Whoever you're celebrating this Mother's Day - your mama, a mentor, a friend, or yourself - we hope it's a day filled with creativity, inspiration, and love. We're honored to work alongside so many incredible women who pour their hearts into what they create. You can find more of their work (and so much more) at our artisan marketplace near Midtown Reno. Thanks for taking a little time to celebrate some of the rad makers who make our community so special!