I have been thinking a lot, about faire…

The Bristol Renaissance Faire is one of the loves of my life. And I am so especially privileged these days, to have my little book shop there. You cannot imagine how the people I meet at The Quill and Brush, have truly inspired me.

It’s a special story to me, for how I fell in love with Bristol. But to make it short and sweet, when I was a little girl, my mama was curious, creative, imaginative, and persistent enough, to try her hand at a sewing machine. We didn’t have a lot then, but we always had faire. It was something to look forward to, to plan for, to dream about. A singular place in this world, that offered so much magic on a summer’s day. And let’s just say…

Wearing a costume changed my life forever.

It let my imagination run free. The way only books can. But it almost felt, more real. You actually, for a moment, are.

I was a princess. I was a peasant girl. I was a gypsy. I was a lady in waiting. I could be anything I wanted – with just a little imagination, and a dress to play the part.

And the faire itself, was the place I could really be any of these things. Whatever I wanted.

There are many of you out there who know exactly what I’m talking about. Rennies – you’re my people. Cosplay – what you do is utterly cool. Costumers – I endlessly admire you. Historical reenactors – you are rockstars.

Just saying.

But whether of not you have any interest in any of these things, the message here is this…

Even just a little imagination softens the mundane, the bleak, the shadows, that life delivers. Because life is hardly all love and ease, is it? Imagination brings light to the world, a warm hue…and sometimes even, a genuine sparkle.

Imagination will bring you more than you would have had – my experiences are testimony of this.

So I say to you…

Apply some imagination to whatever it is you love in this life. Take a little time. Imagine it…nurture it…plan it…dream it. And why not – go play a little pretend! Because the secret is – using our imagination, can actually makes the magic, become real.

Stay Inspired.