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Handmade Journals with Ali Manning

Your art matters more than you think!

Published about 18 hours ago • 1 min read

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Hi Reader,

This is just a short and sweet email this week as I sit sweating in my studio - the heat in the North East has been unbearable. Here's a quick story I wanted to share:

I was waiting to board my flight home from London to Boston, feeling heavy-hearted after saying goodbye to my family.

Then music began to drift through the terminal.

A young man sat down at a public piano and started playing Perfect Symphony. He stumbled a few times, paused, found his way back—and kept going. By the end, he had gathered a small audience (me included) and earned quiet applause.

In that moment, his music gave me a flicker of joy and relief in the midst of sadness. And I bet he did the same for many others in that terminal.

This is the thing about creating: we never really know how it will touch others. Maybe you’ve doubted whether your creations matter. Maybe you’ve wondered if anyone sees them. But I promise—what you make can bring comfort, beauty, even hope.

So please, keep making. Keep painting. Keep stitching. Keep creating books.

Someone out there needs what only you can create!

Has someone else’s creativity ever reached you at just the right moment? Hit reply and let me know.

Look out for our July 4th sale next week!

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Ali's Instagram Finds

Warmly,

Ali

145 Main Street, Suite 208, Groton, MA 01450
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Handmade Journals with Ali Manning

A bookbinding community for artists & crafters

I've been growing a creative community since the internet dark ages of 2007 when I started my first blog. I now run an online bookbinding community called the Handmade Book Club. It's a subscription site that provides monthly education and connection. As of the end of of 2023, my list is 23k. I'd love to collaborate with other artists and creators.

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