You are the founder of Santa Fe Found, an online platform that highlights local artists and entrepreneurs of Santa Fe, NM. Could you speak a little about your journey of launching this platform and what inspired you to begin?
Running Santa Fe Found has been a joy, and I’ve met so many great people through it. When I moved to Santa Fe a few years ago, I didn’t know anyone, and really only knew how to navigate the city based on what I could find online. I ended up living in a live/work loft community that hosted a holiday market where residents were selling products they'd made. I had previously met many of these neighbors, but had no idea that they had these secret talents! I was so amazed and surprised by their work. I’d known them as baristas and masseuses, not leatherworkers and ceramicists. So, this experience inspired me to “pull back the curtain” on Santa Fe and the people living there; to share stories of the people we all interact with and see on a daily basis, but don’t really know. The community has really responded well to it, and I can see that it inspires people to connect and collaborate with people they otherwise wouldn't, so I’m really proud of it.
I consider you someone that spreads ideas and shares stories. What is an idea, or piece of wisdom you’d like to share with us?
Everybody deserves to be acknowledged, and everybody's story matters. I think it’s so important to pause and see that everyone around you — your neighbors, boss, Lyft driver, store clerk, coworkers — all have interesting stories, passions, and struggles. It’s not just people who are proud or brave enough to stand up and showcase their work who have stories worth telling. Your story is worth telling, as is everybody’s around you.
Who is preserving or practicing a tradition or craft that you admire right now?
I’m currently really into finding people who mend and repair clothing. Science and Kindness is a textile repair shop in Minnesota and I love following them and seeing their work. I often search for old clothes and fabrics at flea markets, and always have these big ideas for how they could be repaired and reimagined, but I don’t have the skills to do so. So I really enjoy seeing how others mend and create.
If you could pick the mind of any living maker in the nation for an interview who would it be?
That’s a good question! I had to look through my liked photos on Instagram to narrow down just one person, but here's a great one: Mike Beavers is a carpenter and furniture designer who lives in a cabin he built himself in the Santa Monica Mountains. I’m especially into these really cool chairs he’s been making… I want one of each! He lives in LA, so I suppose I could probably just email him for an interview… maybe I should!
Haha I think you should! You have spent a lot of time between Santa Fe and Los Angeles. Could you share a couple of your favorite things to do or places to visit in SF and LA?
Yes, I love both cities so much and think they’re very complimentary. In Los Angeles, I typically spend all my free time hiking or going to flea markets. For hikes, I’ll just find green space on Google Maps, zoom in, and find where the trailheads are. Those types of hikes are usually less crowded. And on Sundays, you’ll find me at the Rose Bowl Flea Market or Melrose Trading Post. I also love to drive to the beach — right beyond the Palisades where there’s free roadside parking — to read and watch the sunset. My favorite meal is spaghetti with tomato sauce from Speranza and I love ice cream from Mashti Malone's.
In Santa Fe, I also love to hike and mountain bike. There are vast expanses of land about 20 minutes outside the city with trails that make you feel so small... in a comforting way. It’s a really refreshing feeling and puts things in perspective. As a treat, I’ll go to Ten Thousand Waves spa and book a private tub every so often. Opuntia Cafe is my favorite place for lunch and to get work done, and all summer long I hang out at El Rey Court. The farmer’s market on Saturday morning is always a treat, and cooking dinner with friends for an outdoor summer meal is the best.
What does the future look like for Santa Fe Found?
I’m not sure at the moment. I’ve always just let it be an easy process — I try not to stress out about deadlines or analytics or anything. I started it to offer something positive to the community, and as a creative outlet for myself, and I’ve let it evolve naturally up to this point. Even though I’ve been living in Los Angeles for the past year, I’ve somehow still been able to release a new interview — with photography done by me — every two weeks. It somehow all works out, and I think it will continue to grow, or evolve into its next form, as my life changes. I’m excited to see what happens!
