Botanica Boutique
Kris Haas - owner of Botanica Boutique and founding member of BigWig - told me as I walked in that she & her customer were talking about menopause. “I have nothing to contribute to this conversation,” I said, ”and I apologize for that. Is it cool if I draw though?”
It was cool that I drew. Kris knew I was coming. She asked me to come. She didn’t know when I was coming though. You never know what’s going on in the store at any given moment. Later on, as I was wrapping up to leave, Kris told me she hoped I wasn’t scarred from the conversations that had taken place over the past hour. They had talked about cancer, mastectomies, nipple tattoos….all things I know a thing or two about, but only a thing or two. “Not scarred at all, honestly! If anything, you may have scarred your new employee” who’s in her 20’s and just started that week. Spoiler alert, I think she’s fine too.
This is what I love about what some people have described as being “a local watercolor documentarian”. I get to see places in their natural conditions. I’m just the art guy. I’m just here to observe. But I don’t just observe what I see. I observe everyone’s demeanors. Their interactions. They ways they take up space in the stores how warmly and genuinely they are welcomed.
In all honesty, it was really wonderful to see this highly personal, highly sensitive conversation happening so fluidly and comfortably. I assumed this was just the way she acted around her trusted customers. But it turns out that this customer had never been in the shop before that very moment. I don’t know what led up to the menopause conversation, but it’s clear that Kris was able to get her there. After that point, was able to really help her find the products that most likely would work best for her.
Venues that can open people up to their most comfortable places are the best - because there is genuine connection there. The shop owners have a rapport that is sometimes instantaneously open. These two women were comfortable in an uncomfortable dialogue, but who says that dialogue has to be uncomfortable? (Probably a bunch of men, if we’re being honest , and if you know those men tell them to go fuck themselves. And if you ARE those men, go fuck yourself).
Or, if you are those men, you need to chill out and be less uptight about stuff that isn’t your business. Kris can probably recommend a product for that.
Botanica Boutique (70 Taylor Place, South Orange, NJ) is stocked to the tops of the shelves with all sorts of CBD and THC products. You’d have to visit their site to learn more about what their offerings really are, but I can assure you that if you walk in with something you think they can help with, they’ll find the right product for you.
Time Lapse video on instagram.
