Featured Shop: FIG+YARROW

Etsy.com handmade and vintage goods
FigandYarrow

Story by FigandYarrow

Published on July 27, 2012 in Shop

My name is Brandy Monique, and I make artisan apothecary products. Everything I make is small-batch, handcrafted and mostly organic.

I began this line while I was working on my psychology degree and studying herbalism, shamanism and plant spirit medicine. To support my scholastic endeavors, I worked as an independent color consultant, essentially helping people choose paint colors for their homes and businesses. It was very theoretical and conceptual, and gave me little opportunity to use my hands. I really missed creating tangible things.

One day in meditation, I inquired about how I could combine all my strengths and talents and elicit the guidance of plant spirits to produce something more tangible. Ideas and direction came to me. I followed each little morsel as it began to build a larger picture, and began practicing a form of kitchen alchemy creating plant infusions, distillations and emulsions.

These days, every waking hour is dedicated to nurturing this brain child I’ve given birth to. My process is ever-evolving.  In the beginning, I was motivated and inspired by a desire to create, and now I’m figuring things out and looking to the future. In the next phase, I hope to upgrade to a more accommodating work and retail space, and empower others as employees who find fulfillment in the work.

What warms me about Etsy is its community-oriented nature. It really is about people supporting one another. I feel so many Etsians have a claim in my success because they highlighted FIG+YARROW on their blog or included my products in their treasuries. Anthropologie and Terrain found my line through Etsy, as have most of my boutique customers. There’s this quality of affection that comes through when I work with a customer who sends me a convo, or when a new boutique tells me their story and expresses appreciation for what I do. My customers understand that FIG+YARROW is essentially just a lady working away in her humble studio/kitchen.

With each order I send out, I feel this thread of connection to the recipient. Knowing their name and where in the world they live reminds me that my products go to real and wonderful people. And when I peruse my Etsy Finds emails, I’m always so impressed and delighted by the amount of talent out there. I feel this tremendous sense of inspiration and support for my fellow Etsians like, “Yeah, you go!”

When people make the choice to spend their money and time more consciously, a new economy begins to emerge. That economy is founded on individuals doing business with one another rather than with far removed corporate entities whose interest is rarely (if ever) with the consumer. It allows people to showcase their talents and peddle their wares with low overhead while engaging with others locally and globally – how tremendous! Conscious consumerism also opens people up to bartering and purchasing used (and often more unique) items from one another. It’s less wasteful and helps alleviate environmental stress. By participating in these shared ideals together, we’re taking control of our lifestyles for enhanced quality of life and sense of deeper fulfillment.

Studio photographs by Nicole Pike, product photographs by FIG+YARROW. Dress by Sabine+Sailor.

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