In the late 1980s there was a store in Carmel called ‘Jazz It Up’. It was thee place to have your birthday party. My elementary school gal-pals and I would spend hours staring at designs we could get heat-pressed onto our custom tee shirts. The real magic was when we got to squeeze globs of fabric paint and throw glitter all over t-shirts onto a massive spinning wheel. This form of splatter art is specific to a time in history and I feel you can only truly appreciate it if you were part of this era. We’d proudly model our masterpieces on Monday mornings and keep them in rotation from there on out. I think of this store often and wonder how much it inspired my desire to study apparel design at Indiana University. Probably a lot.
I grew up in Carmel and I have a lot of memories. I’m writing this love letter to Indy, hoping that you have memories to share as well. Do you remember central Indiana from an earlier time? From elementary school at Mohawk Trails to becoming the president of the Japanese club at Carmel High School, I’ve had a lovely time recollecting growing up in the best of all places.
For instance, do you remember visiting Union Station in the 1990s? Shopping in different markets, seeing the train and, being absolutely terrified of the statues? As a family, we didn’t travel downtown too much, but I remember in my high school years, we would take a special day to shop at the new Circle Center mall, feeling oh-so-continental.
I remember the real snow days and summers at the pool. I remember catching lightning bugs and wiping out on my bike. I remember not fitting in with cooler classmates, but finding my niche when I started sewing my own clothes in high school.
The day after graduation from IU Bloomington, I jumped in my car and drove away from Indiana, thinking I would never return. With no job or place to live, I drove down to Austin to start my adventure. Working in coffee shops and art stores, I spent the next decade moving from Austin to Los Angeles to San Francisco to Oakland and Chicago. A family health issue brought me back home and the place I returned to was unrecognizable.
What changed? Well, Probably one of the most impressive economic development initiatives in the history of talent and place. It’s easy to take it for granted, but Mass Ave, Fountain Square, the new restaurants, and the historical building getting new artistic life have all been extremely intentional works of beauty. I can only now appreciate that there is an entire workforce in Indianapolis dedicated to making central Indiana the best place to work, live, and play.
Something unexpected has occurred within me in the past few years. I’ve become passionate about economic development. The level of collaboration and the planning that is taking place to make our home state attract and retain talents is unparalleled. If you work in community engagement, or business development or are lucky enough to play a role in economic development, I’d love to hear what you do and why you like doing it. But first:
WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE WITH ME!
HOMES:
I’ve lived in a tiny apartment on Alabama street, and a tiny apartment on Delaware. I’ve rented a house in Broad Ripple and the first home I purchased was a second floor condo in Carmel. Recently, I built a single family house in Westfield from the ground up, where I happily live today.
Where have you lived in Indy that you loved?
JOBS:
I remember working downtown in the wardrobe department at the Indiana Repertory Theatre and getting hired for my first real career where I could make a difference at the Hamilton County Leadership Academy. I’ve worked remotely in operations at a tech firm and I was an early hire at the first farm-to-table CSA (community-supported agriculture) in Indianapolis. From high school, I’ve worked at almost every store at the Keystone Fashion Mall, with Papyrus being my first gig. Later, you could find me at J.Crew, LUSH, and Paper Source styling the latest fashion, beauty, and art trends. I’ve been a front desk receptionist at Splenda and even attained my real estate license when I worked in CRE for a year.
What interesting gigs have you had while you were becoming who you are now?
SHOPPING + ENTERTAINMENT:
My absolute favorite store used to be ‘Future Shock’ in Broad Ripple where I could buy insane platform shoes and accessories just wild enough that I could sneak them in my high school and college wardrobe. I remember dancing like nobody was watching in the late 90s at the Red Room in Broad Ripple and many summer nights at Deer Creek. I don’t drink anymore, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a lot of memories!
What are your favorite Indy gems?
DEAR INDY,
You saw me at my best and my worst. You’ve seen me grow into the woman I am now. I’ve built lasting relationships and continue to find that this town gets smaller every year the more amazing people I meet. I feel like my life has been a series of lucky breaks, but I think Hoosiers are probably just wonderful people, willing to take a chance on a person like me. I like to think I have a strong work ethic and I love to learn new things.
Now that I have a family of my own, I wonder what little glimmers my daughters will remember about growing up here. As our economic initiatives continue, I selfishly hope they will choose to stay in Indiana, get a first-class education and find an exciting and rewarding career. There is no longer a need to move to NYC or LA to find a metropolitan experience. We have everything we need right here, at home.
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