Meet Emily, the Wild Mountain Soul and Artist behind the store

Hi there, fellow wild mountain soul! I'm Emily, the artist behind all the designs you see in the store!
 
As you can tell... I'm a little mountain obsessed. 😁
 
I started my mountain collection over 15 years ago, when I moved from the flat cornfields of Illinois to the glorious Pacific Northwest in Bremerton, WA. Before moving there, I had never dreamed that such a perfect place could exist in real life, and it stunned me into awe every day to be able to live in such a beautiful place.
 
Without a doubt, my favorite part of living in such incredible scenery was getting to see the mountains in everyday life.
 
🗻 There is nothing so sublime as discovering an otherwise mundane drive to the dentist or grocery store includes a view of your favorite mountain on the way there.
 
🗻 Nothing as jaw dropping as topping an unsuspecting hill only to discover a sprawling mountain valley on the other side that takes your breath away, every time.
 
🗻 Nothing like learning the personality of each mountain peak, day to day as they peek in and out of the clouds, and also over the seasons, as they pile with snow in the winter and then melt down to inky darkness in the summer.
 
🗻 And of course, there is nothing so enticingly mysterious as wondering if the mountains will be "out" every time you walk out your door, and making it your mission to get to your favorite viewing spot to find out.
 
I think it's fair to say that when I came up with the tagline for my store, it came from the heart:
When your love of the mountains is more than an obsession • It's in your soul
#wildmountainsoul
 
Unfortunately for *this* wild mountain soul, I was not able to remain among my mountains forever. The family business, not to mention a whole slew of grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles - all based in our hometown in Illinois - called us home after 4 years in Washington to raise our kids among family.
 
And while that has been such a good thing for us, I have missed the mountains every single day since we moved away. Not a day goes by that my heart doesn't break a little bit to be so far away from them.
 
To fill the void, I've collected all the best mountain stand-ins I can find - surrounding myself with mountains on the clothes I wear, the paintings I admire, the pillows I snuggle with, the cups I drink from, and on and on and on, so that I never have to feel separated from them.
 
Keeping my little pile of mountain treasures close has eased the pain of living so far away from them, and it brings me daily joy to celebrate my love of the mountains with my favorite shirt or throw pillow. Because I never feel better than when I am wearing / staring at / just generally showing off my love of the mountains!
 
I am CONFIDENT that I'm not the only person who loves the mountains this much. In fact, it is my hope that creating art that celebrates this love might connect me to other mountain lovers, and perhaps even bring them as much joy as my own little pile of treasures does. 🥰
 
Wild Mountain Soul is both a passion project - a way for me to connect with 🗻 My People 🗻 and pour my love of the mountains into art and creative design (not to mention to keep stocking up on new mountain clothes and swag to feed my obsession!!) - and an investment in my future.
 
Because my heart was born to roam in the mountains. It feels right all the way down to my toes to imagine that the very love of the mountains which has inspired me to create this art could be the path that helps me get back to them someday. Every piece of art that goes out into the world and brings joy to someone else, also brings me one step closer to going Home. 🏞
 
With that, I invite you to peruse the Wild Mountain Soul store and see if you find something that touches your own love of the mountains. It is my hope that my art speaks to your heart the way it speaks to mine, and together we can show the world how wondrous it is to be a Wild Mountain Soul. Ѧѧ