by Jillian Amatt As with all things in life, many lessons are learned from our successes, our failures and our experiences. As we packed up Creative Rift this past couple of weeks, we were able to reflect on what joys running the business brought to us.
First and foremost were our customers. Never did a day go by that someone didn’t compliment us on how beautiful the store looked, how wonderful it smelled, or what a good job we were doing to promote art in our community. We sailed along on these compliments, never really thinking much about it. We were happy with what we had done, proud of what we had created in the community, and hopeful that it would last. However, as with all things, nothing lasts forever.
In our last month of business, we experienced many ranges of emotion, most of it coming from you, our customers. It was very humbling in these final days, to hear so much sadness of our closure. It was then that we realized what a difference we made in this town—how important our establishment was to patrons, artists and the community as a whole. We are honoured and grateful to have created an environment that enriched our community the way that it did.
We also experienced many customers who didn’t know that we were there. They only came in for the first time in our last month of business. This was what made me sad. This is a humbling lesson for us all. As a society, we are so caught up in our day to day rituals that we forget to take the time to look around at what is new and different. I implore all Powell Riverites to take the time to stop, take a breath, and explore areas that you don’t normally go to. Things change rapidly in this town, and if you blink, you might just miss it.
Our artists: what a joy it has been to work alongside such a vast array of talent. To those who never did make it into our shop, we represented over 80 local artists during our four-year run. There is so much talent in this town. We are immensely grateful to you all for your inspiration, your quirkiness, your zest for life, and your belief in us and what we were providing. Mischa and I sincerely wish you all the best in your future endeavours. I am secure in knowing that we certainly helped some of you to realize your talent, and gain the confidence to show the world what you are made of. This was our mission, and we feel satisfied that in this, we found success.
Although Creative Rifts’ doors have closed, new doors shall open. Art in this community is blossoming at a rapid rate, and we have no doubt that it will continue to shine as one of Powell River’s richest assets.
In closing, we would just like to say how much we appreciated all of you for your support and kindness that you have shown us. We will move forward with love in our heart for this community, its amazing citizens and the wonderful experience that we have had.
Jillian Amatt, together with Mischa Brooks-Thoma, ran Creative Rift for four years.
