11/22/2024
This post is gonna be a long one, so hold on tight!
I started Make Joy Felt in January of 2023. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew that I needed an outlet for my creativity and something that would bring me joy. My husband and I had recently moved and were at the tail end of the worst year of our lives so far. I was in a job that wasn’t as enjoyable or life-giving as I had hoped. I was experiencing burnout and compassion fatigue like I never had before, and I knew something had to change. So, I took my graphic design and fiber art skills and put them out into the world. It was scary and exciting and vulnerable and so much more, but most of all - it was filled with joy. It brought me joy and it brought joy to the people around me. It brought our customers joy. And hopefully, it made the world a little bit more joyful!
And over the course of the last two years, I have been so thankful to meet so many amazing people, share my passion, and bring joy to so many places. I have been so grateful to see pieces of my heart in each of my products go to people who love them as much as I do.
So, it is with great sadness that I tell you all that Make Joy Felt is (mostly) closing it’s “doors.” It has been a spectacular two years, and we didn’t come to this decision lightly, but we have so much peace about it since making the decision a few weeks ago, so we know it is the right call.
A few things got us here:
1. I got a new job about 8 months ago that I absolutely love. (Remember when I said that Make Joy Felt was started partially because I needed an outlet for joy in the midst of a tough job? Yeah… I don’t have that hole to fill anymore.)
2. Autumn on Parade, while absolutely AMAZING, did quite a number on us - physically, emotionally, and business-wise. We were exhausted for days afterward, even though our hearts were full. We missed out on some amazing opportunities to build and strengthen relationships because we were prepping for, participating in, and recovering from AOP. And, maybe most importantly, the wind took out our tent. (Remember the picture below where our tent was still up, but definitely leaning - yeah, the next few hours sealed the deal - that tent is a goner).
3. Make Joy Felt has had its time, but this feels right. As my husband and I sat down after AOP to talk about the future of this business, it became clear that, while we love doing this, it doesn’t fit into our lives right now. So, rather than forcing it to fit in and ending up hating it, we are taking a big step back.
So, what does this mean for the future of Make Joy Felt?
Well, here’s what it looks like:
1. You will have one more chance to shop at an in-person event on December 8, 2024 at River’s Edge in Oregon, IL.
2. After our final market on December 8, I will be posting all of our products on Facebook with discounted rates. Local customers can coordinate pick-up or delivery (fees may be applicable), and customers who aren’t local can have products shipped (for a fee).
3. Once all products are sold, we will be shutting down our website, but we will keep our social media profiles up. This will allow for us to take custom orders as we are able. We would still love bring joy to you with stationary, invitations, notepads, hats, bookmarks, stickers, or anything else you can think of - just on an individual basis!
4. We will hold open the possibility of coming back on the market scene if and when it fits back into our lives and goals!
This has been an amazing 2 years, and we are so thankful for each and every one of you who has supported us through your likes, comments, purchases, encouragement, help, and more! We can’t wait to see what the future of Make Joy Felt looks like as a custom-work business!
Until next time- Marissa J. Foss and the Make Joy Felt Team
