Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? (D’où venons-nous ? Que sommes-nous ? Où allons-nous ?) My favorite painting by Paul Gauguin.*
Permit me to introduce myself— Mary Robinson, past President of Ireland (joke); Mrs. Robinson, as in the song, not the movie (Here’s to you … joke), Co-Owner of Silly Goat Creative, LLC and your neighbor in Cherry Valley NY (for real). This blog post recaps my first year as a local Cherry Valley business occupying the storefront on 85 Alden Street.
Perhaps you have meandered through my store; I’ve been slow in developing signage but many people are attracted to the goats in the window (sorry, not for sale). They wonder what Silly Goat Creative is all about. The short answer is we sell books by local authors as well as my family’s favorite read aloud series recommendations, and what I call life-hack books. We promote local products such as Chatty Wren Coffee (roasted in Cobleskill, NY) and whimsical dog and cat ceramics from artist Glenn Wiegand (also from Cobleskill).
We are Maker Space enthusiasts. Many people ask “What is a Maker Space?” A Maker Space is a collaboration of makers, which leads to the question “Who is a Maker?” A Maker is anyone who makes (creates) something, whether using old technology or new (i.e. an artist is a maker, a software developer is a maker, dressmakers and cooks are makers …). Makers are innovators, inventors, curious people who enjoy learning and creating. Collaboration is a key component to Maker Spaces (as well as today’s business model!). Maker Spaces encourage and facilitate collaboration— brainstorming new ideas and learning from each other, as well as sharing costly resources (i.e. 3D printers, laser wood cutters).
Our current Maker Space consists of magazines (such as Hackspace) to inspire and an online Python programming bootcamp course. Learning how to code in Python not only guarantees a relevant job skill, but also opens doors to entering the data science field in any industry. Technology today can be simple and daunting at the same time; by learning Python and playing with Raspberry Pi computers, there is fun and motivation which leads to empowerment. Yes, you can do this!
Silly Goat Creative takes the power of online learning to a new level — where a teacher is a coach or facilitator rather than the all-knowing expert. We’ve discovered an amazing Python data science expert (teacher) and course on Udemy.com. However, unless you are an auto-didactic learner (such as my husband), it is easy to become discouraged and give up when one hits a wall (me; I need support and mentoring and work things out through discussion). We want you to finish the 100 Day Python Bootcamp and we’re here to help. We can use zoom classes to learn from and motivate each other. We’re in this together!
Finally— we seek to become a Community *Recovery Resource. Our business is dedicated to everyone affected by the Opiate Epidemic. We hope to make a difference in our community and in individual lives. We hope to inspire people to try new things, hobbies, new careers. We realize personal contact and support is invaluable; our doors are open*; please stop by and chat. Thank you for listening.
Mary Robinson (*although we don’t have regular winter hours, contact me Mary@SillyGoatCreative.com and we can arrange to meet:))
