Monday, July 27, 2015

Forward Motion

The past month has been such a crazy whirlwind of great experiences (residencies, Rock & Roll Camp for Girls, etc.)  and I have a lot to share for the purpose of this blog, but I feel that there is one thing that deserves its own post before I write about anything else. After 6 months of opening 612's doors and almost 6 years of working on the project together, James and I have decided to dissolve our partnership so that he can move on to other projects, and so that I can run 612. 

It has been a true adventure and I have learned so much about business, people, communities, buildings, and more. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. Sometimes you just come to a place where it's better to make a shift and move in a different direction, for the sake of what you've created. James has been instrumental in rezoning our properties, establishing the non-profit and organizing the renovations of the building. His large vision for tying historic preservation and a sustainable community together has helped to guide 612 in so many wonderful ways and I am convinced that it was our partnership that created the magic that helped bring everything to fruition. 

We now find ourselves at a place where all of the dreams are pushing their way up to the surface to become reality and with that push comes some friction. This change will help to make things run a little smoother. I still love and respect James and wish him nothing but goodness. I know that James will go on to use all of the knowledge and experience he has gained to help people in other communities and I'm proud to have worked with him these past six years to help create something for Paseo that wasn't there before. 

SixTwelve was always meant to bring people together and to highlight all of the great things happening in our OKC community, through the arts and sustainability. Now James and I are making a decision that will allow for sustainability in our friendship. I'm so grateful for that, because in the end, 612 is product of our love and respect for each other and our belief in our community. Those things will now live on for a long time.