Today we’d like to introduce you to Marah Harings.
Hi Marah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I taught myself to sew when I was eleven, but I’ve felt driven to create for as long as I can remember. As an artist herself, my mom made crafts a priority for my sister and me. I always felt encouraged to create. In fact, a sewing machine was my high school graduation gift! I lost touch with my artistic drive as an adult, feeling often like I had to “make time” to be creative. That is, until 2020 upended all our lives, along with my sense of self and purpose.
My partner, Tyler, and I met at the beginning of 2020, just before the Minnesota lockdowns. We quickly realized we both feel most vibrant and alive when we allow time for creative exploration. Tyler is a woodworker and the sole operator behind Three Circle Shop, creating sculptural end grain butcher blocks that weigh more than both of us and our three dogs, combined! The time we’ve spent discussing ideas has led us through a porthole of obligations and responsibility, to a mission that he likes to call “living artfully.” I can no longer imagine having a job I dread going to, clocking in and out each day just to financially survive. It feels a bit silly as someone who just spent two years and a whole lot of loans to become a licensed Social Worker, but I would rather focus each day on spending time with my relatively wild dogs, sharing ideas with my partner, and creating art however it comes out of me. I work part-time as a bartender and I’ve had so much fun adding this skill to my lifelong collection of lessons.
My artistic self has exploded in the past year. I spend most of my time designing knit sweaters, turning leather scraps into earrings or wallets, and sewing my own wardrobe. As anyone who considers themselves “crafty” can relate, there’s always something new to learn. I’m currently deep-diving into pottery, spinning yarn, and weaving my own fabrics for garments. This feels like a new beginning for me.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
As you might guess, working part-time and trying to sell what I make for a living can be challenging at times. Tyler and I attended a few craft fairs this year to peek at the Twin Cities makers’ world. The most difficult part of selling our art is finding the exact right market of people who will love what we create as much as we do. As obvious as it may be, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how ridiculously hard it is to connect with other people and thrust our artwork into the clenched fists of a pandemic-riddled planet. Despite the challenges presented by constantly changing regulations for social interactions, I have felt immense love and support from total strangers for the work I do. There will always be space for artistic expression because I truly believe there is a part of every person that craves beauty, love, and wonder. Regardless of whether I end up selling many of my creations, the conversations I’ve had with people about what it feels like to work on creative projects remind me that designing a life around what I love to do most is the only way I want to live.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
For most of my life, my creative side has identified as someone who sews. Recently, though, I’ve felt a shift in desire to seek the most basic level of creation. I enjoy living slowly and simply, centering on the core of what makes me happy: nature, loved ones, creativity. My art follows this same precedent; the more deeply I dig within myself to learn what I like to do, the more I find that the slower projects produced primarily by time are my favorites. Knitting often feels like creating beauty from nothing, and I’m blown away each time I can take a single strand of yarn and transform it into a three-dimensional garment to use or wear.
Weaving and working with clay also feel rooted in this slow simplicity of dedicating time to raw material and watching it become its own creature in front of my own eyes. I still enjoy sewing and designing clothes, but in a classic “Marah” move, I plan to concentrate most of my energy on expanding these new skills and seeing where they take me!
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Frankly, I’m still on the hunt for my own mentor in the Twin Cities to help me complete the transition from social worker to a self-sufficient, thriving artist! More seriously, though, I think we all have an impact on people around us, whether we realize it or not. I’m trying to live as someone who brings compassion to myself and others, and I consider that to be the most important kind of networking. I sincerely believe that when we express authentic compassion, hearts and minds are opened and we all feel a little more connected. The best relationships in my life began in a spark of fun shared between two strangers, so the more I can enjoy what I’m doing, the more I’m sure to meet others looking for the same.
Pricing:
-
Knit sweaters: $190-250
-
Knit tops: $95-130
-
Dynamo Jackets: $220
-
Leather wallets: $25-50
-
Leather earrings: $15-45
-
Commissioned ceramic cup sets: $60-120
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/marahdoes/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/marahdoes
