The iNVISeDGE Story- Written June, 2010
iNVISeDGE (pronounced the same as “envisage”) has always been about providing pieces that become a symbol to the owner of what it means to value the things with a story to tell. In a world that keeps changing, there are some things that stay the same. They stand apart from the millions with the same name- they rise above the faceless, the mass of stuff engulfing our lives and killing our planet. The things with a story, tell us about possibility and imagination. And how everything is exactly as it should be- how our world is no more doomed than the sun. Each day when the sun burns as brightly as it always has, people tell these stories and about the fire burning within. And others take their place by the fire and choose to listen. But, it’s only when the person who listens becomes the person who speaks that the unseen bushfire properly burns- spreading the story with more purpose and less effort than before. When more people are talking than listening, the factories will be cleared, the stuff we never really needed will disappear and against a clean sky, the forests will grow stronger than before.
People who sell vintage things help shape our future, as do the people who value the things we already have. These buyers and sellers are not just exchanging products; they’re exchanging stories about our world- from our past, our present and our future. And while there are these items in the world and the people who value them, there will be a world to tell stories about.
I didn’t plan to write something like that for my “About Me” ebay page (!) but it’s obviously what I wanted to say. The great thing about words is that people have the freedom to stop reading or listening at any time…
The iNVISeDGE story before today…
iNVISeDGE was conceived in 2001 as a market stall in Paddington, Sydney and then from 2002, grew quickly on ebay for five years. iNVISeDGE items were shown in various magazines such as INSIDE OUT, HOME BEAUTIFUL and THE SYDNEY MAGAZINE and on television on the LIFESTYLE channel. Editorials about iNVISeDGE featured in THE INNER WEST COURIER and on the BETTER HOMES & GARDENS website.
In mid-2007 my business came to a stand-still. I encountered major health issues and I coordinated my business from hospital for a while. I had a showroom in Sydney, three part-time staff and about 50 vintage furniture items on-line- it was impossible to quit it immediately. That month in hospital ended up being the most successful for my business but personally it was a different story.
Not long after, I moved my business to smaller premises and took an extended break. I spent months resting but in reality was willing my health to return. I re-opened iNVISeDGE in Chippendale, 2km from Sydney City on a smaller scale. Despite my hopes and all the positive thinking, my health issues returned not long after. I then decided to sell everything off (I kept the truly extraordinary things which I’ll be selling in iNVISeDGE soon) and took indefinite leave from iNVISeDGE. In time, when I was not trying so hard for things to be different and learnt to listen to the flow of life, I found myself exploring various wilderness areas- rivers, forests, lakes, islands, beaches after finishing work. I embarked upon many new adventures, all local yet very foreign to me. These natural environments taught me what life really is. Wilderness is a big part of the reason I feel drawn back to iNVISeDGE and not a ‘day’ job. This time though there are no plans- no expectations for the future … just a new way of looking at things. Now it’s about what I can do to make a difference protecting the environments that gave me a new lease on life and to help people feel more connected to life. Both of these tie in with each other because without wilderness there is little chance of anyone finding a true connection to life.
There is a gift for those who’ve ever lost their health- when they’ve unwrapped the layers of struggle something glitters inside. The struggle brings something new- it’s as though a bushfire has raged within and cleaned out the soul. And with the gift of health, and the wrapping and ribbons cast aside, the person sees things differently. It’s this new way of looking at life that becomes the gift- and the health itself is just an added bonus.
Thank you to anyone who read this far, I appreciate your interest. Thank you also to the people who have supported iNVISeDGE over the years and will do so in the future. And thank you to all those who tell the story of vintage things because these people help shape our future. It’s a small, but important thing. When we value what we already have and only welcome new things that will give us new stories to tell in the future, the factories will no longer be built, the pollution will no longer darken the burning sun and we’ll be able to see everything as it really is.