It is the Journey that we Embrace. . .
“There will come a time when you believe everything is finished; that will be the beginning.”
For the past ten years, Scott and I have had the privilege to grow as educators and move up the ladder (so to speak) in our careers. It has challenged us to understand children at a deeper level, to inspire leaders, to encourage creative thinkers, to open up pathways for children who never thought they had a road to follow. It has been and it is rewarding to see the transformation with each child we have the privilege to work with.
However, as human beings we continue to evolve and transform. If we are teaching the future leaders, artists, doctors, and novelists of the world, how come, as adults, many of us remain stagnant and stop growing?
Thus. . . . the end of the road of accomplishment has just opened up an entire new highway for us to begin a creative endeavor that will challenge us in different ways.
When we think of our happiest times as a family, it is the simple pleasures of walking through a field of pumpkins, cuddling up under blankets by the Christmas tree, listening to the pitter patter of rain in our attic, finding new vegetables in our garden, or enjoying lemon curd when our meyer lemon tree has given us a plentiful harvest. We feel inspired and compelled to simplify life during the 21st century. Our desire and need to get back to basics has been overwhelming in our hearts and minds for the past ten years.
We contemplated moving out of Los Angeles with our two children to slow down our pace of life; but we came to realize that it isn’t the space where you live that will make this shift, it is the mindset you have. So, how do you find farm life in an urban environment? Iler Woods believes you can have both.
We have created a platform of local artists, craftsmanship, and creative thinkers who want to share their passion for life with you. Organic, back to basics, vintage, authentic, are all trendy words. However, our network truly embraces people for their natural talents and how each person has a gift to bring to the table. That warm feeling you get after you drink hot cocoa or roast marshmallows around a campfire. . . . we aim to spark that innocent bliss in the items we create.
According to Ernest Hemingway, “Courage is grace under pressure.” Many of us resist making changes because it is quite honestly hard. Changing your decor, changing the time you spend at work and at home, changing the landscape in which you live, all take time and thoughtful intent. We believe that change can help you grow.
When we began thinking about this adventure we considered material and where we wanted to source it from. Our desire is to leave a very small footprint on the earth. Many/ most of our products are repurposed, upcycled, or reclaimed. What was once a piece of wood from a barn in Wisconsin is reclaimed and repurposed into a nightstand and old pallets make beautiful walls or coffee tables. A farm table that’s missing several pieces or has broken parts is upcycled back to life. We use reclaimed square nails when it is appropriate too. When we do need to purchase new product we do our best to get it from independent shops and see to it that we are using fair trade lumber. Since we consider so many things in building, we know for sure that each piece of art we produce is one of a kind. Colors and materials may vary slightly but the essence will be the same. We are committed to the earth and its preservation while giving you top quality products.
Join us in this courageous effort to create items that are authentic and capture your spirit. It is a journey that we are excited to take and have you walk alongside us. Cheers to the Birth of Iler Woods.
-Scott and Erin Iler