March is a disruptive month. It throws growth into full force and sheds the old of what’s come before.
It is symbolic of change, of movement, of transformation. As we roll into a new decade, and to the 10th volume of this publication, we felt compelled to freshen up the place. And in the spirit of grand ideas and artful creation, we spotlight those who are part of the groundswell in our first-ever Makers Issue.
Take Alec Meier, of Stono Knife Works based in Taylors, who crafts elegant knives—wielded by the likes of Chef Sean Brock—and whose blades topped all others in the Outdoor Category of Garden & Gun’s Made in the South Awards (Look Sharp). There’s Chef Sydney Taylor, the young talent leading the culinary program at Methodical Coffee, which turns five this year (Art of Flavor), and the three gentlemen bartenders at Swordfish Cocktail Club, a throwback to a refined age (Taste of History). There’s also Lauren Maxwell and John Young Shik Concklin, married to each other and to community change and cultural progress. They’ve created Mozart for a Cause, featuring professional Upstate musicians in a benefit concert on March 2nd at The Warehouse Theatre to raise funds for the environment (Dynamic Duo).
These individuals only scratch the surface of the unique voices and forces living here, enhancing our cultural experience, morphing it into newness. Life is never still.
But change can feel uncomfortable. Like a new pair of shoes or denim fresh off the designer’s machine, the fit feels foreign until it’s lived in.
Still, we cannot be confined to the comfort of the past. We become lesser versions of the people we could be. If we think within the box of routine, we limit ourselves. We live less-than. We miss out on life right now, and the opportunity to be our best.
Right now is life at its best because there is nothing else but the present moment.
We encourage you to seize it and to embrace the wonder, freshness, and excitement of a new season, month, day, and hour. There’s a new look to TOWN, but our soul is the same.
Blair Knobel
Editor-in-Chief
Twitter / Instagram: @LBKNOBEL
Portrait by Will Crooks
