Cha-cha-cha-changes

Last night I had a nightmare that my teeth were falling out. Such dreams are never a good omen, and they typically stop for a visit when I feel overwhelmed.

It’s been a few days since I found out that DIY Studio will no longer have a home in Salem Center after September. We were hoping to move across the hall at the end of September, however Salem Center will soon be at capacity and DIY Studio will  be displaced. I wanted to have the board come together before we shared the news with you. The good news is we have started to look for a new location and other opportunities for our creative reuse center.

Honestly we never expected to be in the mall, yet we are so thankful Salem Center gave us an opportunity to share our vision with Salem. And what a ride it has been! We’ve diverted over 191lbs of materials from the solid waste stream for every day we’ve been opened. We’ve welcomed 27 local artists to share their upcycled work and met countless supporters and volunteers who helped make our vision a reality.  The volunteer hours have paid off when children drop in a dollar to our donation jar and beg their parents to stay “just a bit longer.” I have enjoyed connecting with other creatives who’s eyes sparkle when we talk about reuse materials and how they will upcycle their next project. This experience has been so valuable to me, but also to the many artists, volunteers, and consumers who have discovered what upcycling is all about.

So with this change comes great opportunity. We can use this momentum to reevaluate how DIY Studio works, and how we best serve our community. Please take a few minutes to answer this four question survey and share it with others. Tell us what you want from a creative reuse center!
Click here to take survey

Also, if you have any ideas of how DIY Studio can continue to serve Salemites, we are all ears. Although our resources are limited, we have much to offer the mid-valley community and we hope to continue to educate, inspire, and promote creative reuse. My dreams remind me that I can’t control everything, but what I can do is pour my heart into this reuse movement and with your help dear reader, we can continue this journey together. This will not be an end but a new beginning. Thank you for your continued support.