It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to say about 2020.

So much had already been said, and I wasn’t sure I had anything useful to add. Looking back, though, I realized that a few words kept coming to mind.

Thankful. Thrive. Blessed. Healthful. Gratitude.

Thankful to have made it through.

Thriving because I learned new ways to do business.

Blessed by the customers and people who continued to support my work.

More conscious of taking care of myself and the people around me.

And grateful for learning how to find something positive even when positivity didn’t always come easily.

Those lessons stayed with me.

Finding a Clearer Direction

One of the unexpected gifts of that time was clarity.

Running a small creative business means wearing an awful lot of hats—and I’m not just talking about the ones I make.

I’m the designer and hatter, but I’m also marketing, accounting, sales, shipping, purchasing, IT, social media, and customer service. I think you get the idea.

There will always be more things I could do.

What became increasingly clear was what I most wanted to do:

Make great hats.

Creating a custom design for someone and watching their story become part of the finished piece does my soul good. I’ve met wonderful people through hatmaking, and every new person brings a different idea, personality, history, or reason for wanting a hat.

That’s what keeps the work interesting.

No two people are exactly alike. Their hats shouldn’t have to be either.

Small Businesses Supporting Small Businesses

I’ve also always tried to be thoughtful about where the things I use come from.

Building Dusty’s Originals has given me opportunities to work with other makers and small businesses, and I’ve seen firsthand what happens when independent businesses support one another.

Every purchase has a ripple effect.

When someone chooses something handmade, they’re supporting more than the finished object. They’re supporting the people who make materials, create components, run small shops, practice specialized trades, pack boxes, and keep these skills alive.

That matters to me.

Style Doesn’t Need Permission

Fashion changes constantly.

One year a particular hat shape is everywhere. The next year it’s a color. Then something everyone forgot about suddenly becomes “new” again.

I’ve never been particularly interested in following every trend.

I pay attention to them. I enjoy them. Sometimes they even inspire me. But I’ve always believed that what you genuinely like is already in style.

A fedora doesn’t belong only to one kind of person. A Western hat doesn’t have to stay on the ranch. Color doesn’t belong to one gender, and you don’t need a special occasion to wear something that makes you feel good.

The right hat is the one that feels like you.

Looking Forward

I don’t know exactly where every road leads, and I’ve learned that’s okay.

What I do know is that I want to keep creating. I want to keep meeting interesting people. I want to keep supporting good makers and small businesses. And I want to make hats that tell the stories of the people who wear them.

There will always be challenges and changes ahead.

But the future’s looking pretty bright.

I think that calls for a new hat.

— Dusty