When I was new to my city, I used to take long walks around the neighborhood. I would look at the houses, scout out local parks, and enjoy window shopping through the stores and shops around my home. One store that always caught my eye was the vape shop nearby.
This vape shop was small and straightforward, but they did something that not a lot of other stores did at the time. Aside from vapes and paraphernalia, they also displayed local art and products made by local artists.
Local art was never something that interested me in my younger days. It was something that I never really sought out, and if it wasn’t directly presented to me, I hardly noticed it at all. When I saw these products, though, in a shop that I passed regularly, I gained a new perspective and interest. I would often stop in and spend time looking through all the products and pieces. Sometimes, when I found something incredibly unique or eye-catching, I would write down the name of the artist. I began looking at these artists up and keeping up with their work. It became almost an inside joke with me, a personal game. What new talent would I discover when I passed the vape shop?
A few years later, I met the love of my life who, as it turned out, was a starving artist. He had pursued his passion for painting, and believe me; he was talented. Unfortunately, in a city densely populated with artistic talent, he needed some way to make his work stand out. We brainstormed marketing campaigns and ideas on how to get people to notice his work, and then one day, it hit me! The vape shop!
By mixing in his art in a store where people were prone to stopping and looking and noticing, maybe he could catch the right person’s eye. It was a win-win, my boyfriend could display his pieces, and the vape shop had a beautiful draw to get people into their doors.
I always enjoyed my walks, especially to the vape shop. Little did I know that my strolls would lead to my love’s big break.
