Happy Saturday, friends! It’s our second week in the Small Shop Spotlight Series, and it is an honor to welcome Lindsey Hunter from Dear Heart Letter Co. to the blog today! *insert loud applause here*
I found Lindsey’s shop through another shop that will be featured the end of this month, Sweet Sequels, when she was part of a giveaway. I saw her “Courage, dear heart” tin mug, and as a huge Narnia fan I fell in love with it! Lindsey was so kind to agree to an interview, and was actually the first shop I had lined up! So without further ado, it is my pleasure to share her interview! Also, for a link to her shop, scroll to the bottom of this post.
Hi Lindsey, thank you so much for joining me for an interview! It is such a privilege! I stumbled upon your little shop by following Haleigh from Sweet Sequels on Instagram, and the first thing I saw was your “Courage, dear heart” mug. That alone made me follow you… I have long been a fan of C. S. Lewis, and that part in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader has been a favorite of mine for years! How did you stumble across the Narnia books? Were you a child or adult?
I read all the Narnia books for the first time the summer after 7th grade. I had this giant volume with all the books in one. The were the very first books to spark my love of reading and the magic of literature. I have read them many times as an adult and get more out of them each time.
If there was a character in the Chronicles that you can relate to the most, who would it be?
I would love to say Lucy, but honestly Edmund. In the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe I saw so much of my ‘flesh’ in Edmund’s bitterness. His redemption story is so beautiful.
Haha! We have that massive volume as well. They do get better with each read! What is your favorite Lewis book and why?
That’s such a hard question! I have to would have to say Till We Have Faces. I read it after miscarrying a baby in 2016. I really feel like the Lord used that book to answer those gut-level ‘why’ questions. It totally transformed how I looked at my own selfishness, as well as much of the world and the heartache in it. I’ll say that it’s very dense and a bit of an effort to get through, but I really think it is worth every effort.
After I started following your business, I realized the story behind the shop was more than a typical “I just want to start a business, and this was a cute name/theme” sort of story. What made you want to start a shop?
I started what was Little Paper Mama back in 2015 because I needed an outlet. I became a mom at 24 without any idea what I was doing and it kind of swallowed me whole. I needed a way to have a tiny piece of myself. I needed a way to fill myself up, use my mind. Because strolling the aisles of target as an outlet was getting expensive, haha. And I still left feeling depleted. By developing a new skill set and finding a passion/hobby/side hustle, it in turn has made me a more fulfilled and happy mom. And person.
I’d like to think my shop is a little different from some other product shops. I try to create designs filled with ‘good strong words that mean something’. Each item has a story behind it. And made with the hope that a tangible product would speak to your heart on some level and encourage your soul. My end goal is not to just sell mugs or get you to buy a print. It’s to spread Truth and Light and remind you that you’re not alone in this world.
So, tell me about the name, Dear Heart Letter Co. Why this quote? Does it have a special meaning to you?
The words Dear Heart are found from a passage in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. If you read the whole passage you’ll get this beautiful picture of how the crew is filled with this hopelessness and dejection, when Lucy hears Aslan’s voice as a whisper saying “Courage, dear heart” just before the clouds break and the darkness clears.
My hope is that some of these products and the words or “letters” I share could be part of Aslan’s whisper to others. To remind us that the darkness will not last forever.
How has having a small business changed you? What have you gained from the experience?
Owning a small business has been a life raft for me. It’s given me the outlet I needed while allowing me to still be a stay at home mom. I can squeeze work into the hours where the kids are sleeping and it gives my brain something to think about besides meal planning and diaper changing 🙂
I’ve learned that anyone can be creative. It is not just for people who it comes naturally to. It’s a muscle we train and practice and the more we use it and the harder we work, the better we get. And it just takes time and persistence.
What is one piece of advice you would offer to someone wanting to start a small business?
Create out of the overflow of who you are.
And finally, just out of curiosity, what is your favorite item in the shop?
My current favorite is the Aslan is on the move journal!
Thank you so much for joining me today! It is such a joy to have you!
You can visit Lindsey’s shop here to continue that fun literary Christmas shopping! Several of her items will be listed on the Book Lovers Christmas Wishlist at the end of the month. Thanks again for stopping by! Happy Shopping!
The Corner Shelf 