2026 INTENTIONS
We are approaching the end of the first month of a new year. I have to say that it is truly comforting to know that I am not alone in my desire to slow down, unplug and connect with my community at a more deeper level. There is a shift back to community and authenticity that warms my whole self and it gives me so much hope. The biggest reason I decided to stop going down the career path I was on 14 years ago and shift over to opening Hanji Gifts was that I believed, at a very profound level, that the kinds of products and the kind of space we wanted to slowly create alongside all of you was important in a world that had a pace that was really just starting to ramp up. As things were moving faster, I wanted to have an anchor that would bring me and others back to the importance of slowing down, connecting, taking notice of and appreciating beauty, the sensory magic of the touch and smell of paper, the healing power of craft and the importance of sharing my husbands cultural traditions in the beautiful city of Toronto. His story, of uprooting himself and sharing a part of his homeland with all of you is one shared by so many wonderful humans and what makes me proud to live in such a diverse city that celebrates cultural diversity.
Here we are, 14 years later, and what I knew then has shown to be more important than ever before. This movement back to analogue that so many people are embracing, gives me chills. Many people thought that Hyun Suk and I would not succeed. They were worried that what we wanted to offer was antiquated. Social media, smart phones, the huge tech boom that was happening then seemed like a train we were all supposed to be jumping on. We chose not to...I laugh when I say that we didn't even have an internet connection when we opened our shop. Our Debit/Credit machine used a dial up connection because we couldn't afford the internet. No website, no fancy point of sale system...just a collection of things that inspired us and a desire to keep sharing. Thankfully, this different slower paced thing we were doing was well received.
With the move of our Bloor Street West location to a bigger space, that houses our "Crafty Corner" upstairs, it feels like we are going back to that time 14 years ago when we taught workshops too. I missed having a table that was in our space that would spark connection and creativity. I have fond memories of such great conversations with our customers while binding books together or pasting beautiful hanji paper on a chip board box. I absolutely love the curious faces of our customers who wander upstairs and see the craft table for the first time. While we have yet to have regular workshops, we do have simple self led activities set up for now and the response has been magical. Strangers making connections over papers and tapes and coming away with new friends makes me so overwhelmingly happy! It's these connections over time that can grow to incredible impact. Authentic human connection can never be replaced by tech.
I intend to continue to share here, as a way to connect with all of you. I do feel that I lost myself over the past decade or so. The doom scrolling, scraping through the pandemic, the immense fear of things happening in our world right now, the overwhelm that comes from running 3 shops, while trying to take care of my family and my own well being was all starting to feel like beyond too much. In this new year I took my first intentional vacation where I barely posted on social media for the shop, I only replied to time sensitive emails, I put my phone away and focused on being present with my family. As a business owner who truly loves what I do, it was hard at first but I have returned with an amazing sense of purpose and groundedness that I was too busy to tap into before. If you are feeling that urge to slow down, listen to it and find ways to unplug and connect with everything else around you. You will be amazed by how it will make you feel. When you reach to text a friend, maybe give them a call instead or even make plans to spend time with them in person. The potential for deep connection is all around us.
Our Crafty Corner is open to all of you. If you are interested in using the space to plan meet ups, workshops, a mini pop up of your creations...please don't hesitate to reach out. You can email me at hanjigifts@gmail.com to find out more about all it's amazing potential.
Thank you for reading and I will blog again soon :)
xoxo
Catherine Choi