The Gifts We Give
BY EMMA GEARY - NOVEMBER 11, 2024
Today on the blog, we’re giving you a sneak peek into one of our favorite passion projects - the Collective newspaper! Here at LAB, we love a good print piece — we can play with design, layouts, and writing techniques in fresh new ways. Not only is a newspaper our design playground, but it’s an incredible way to further elevate and amplify our Collective Members and businesses across the Twin Cities.
Grab the full newspaper for yourself this weekend at The Collective Fall Market, or one of the many local businesses that will be distributing it all season long! Happy reading!
When I think of someone who embodies the gift-giving love language, my mom takes the cake. Not just during the holiday season (though she does Christmas morning better than anyone - blueberry pancakes and adorable wrapping paper always included), but all year long. She’s been known to empty her purse because I said I liked it, fully intending to swap bags with me before the night is through. Not the shirt off her back per se, but the purse off her shoulder, arguably more stylish and generous.
In the world of love languages, gift-giving often gets a bad rap. To me though, it embodies the ability to hold love, thought, and consideration through objects. Sentimental value is priceless, especially when something you love comes with a story you’re reminded of every time you hold it in your hands.
The holiday season is some of the most commodified and commercialized weeks of the year, and it can take away from the magic experience of truly giving and receiving gifts - the layers of seeing someone for who they are and what they love.
The makers and creatives we support through The Collective are prime examples of people who believe in putting their heart into their work. Whether it’s hand-pouring a candle in the wee hours in a basement studio or threading the soft yarn of a beanie into a cozy hat to share on a cold day, the gifts we give mean so much more than an item on a checklist.
Our mission at LAB has always been to elevate and amplify the local businesses and people who breathe life into our city. They give their gifts on the plate, behind the lens, on the page, and in the display windows of their stores. They gift us their time, their talent, their vulnerability, and their livelihoods, all to bring delight to our daily lives.
The best gift we can give to local businesses this year is to hold space for them, to celebrate them. We can share their posts on social media, attend their pop-up events, dine at their restaurants, and tell our friends about the new local artist they have to meet—no wrapping paper and bow required. To get inspired, visit page 8 to see a few locals we think you need to know.
The gift of nourishment, whether it be through food, art, or conversation, is beautifully on display in Breaditorial: The Art of The Rise, which we’re thrilled to share on page 10. If you’ve ever wondered how a humble loaf of bread can feed generations, we’re sharing the story of a crew of creatives who were determined to find out.
In this issue, I’m also beyond excited to introduce you to two brilliant guest writers, who are local creative thinkers who are sharing their insights with us on everything from balancing your holiday social calendar to creating intentionally accessible spaces in interior design. Read more from Betsy Jordan on protecting your peace this season on page 12, and from Ashley Adamma Ochiaga Meeks on placemaking in design on page 14.
This season, I invite you to consider the gifts you’re uniquely positioned to give, and how you make others feel loved and seen. Whether you’re writing a heartfelt holiday note or bringing decadence to the dessert table with your secret recipe, we all have something to share. Thank you for joining us in our mission to create, collaborate, and connect with our incredible community. We truly wouldn’t be here without YOU!
Cheers to a bright winter ahead!
Emma Geary
Emma is the one writing it all down. She's been with LAB since 2021 and is finishing her MFA in Creative Writing in her spare time. Her favorite color right now is cobalt blue.
