The Story of Kathryn’s “Garage Sale”

As a self taught painter, I learn from experimentation, and I started a business in my garage. During the first few weeks of the pandemic in 2020, I decided I was going to learn woodworking, even though I had never done it before and was very afraid of saws.

To clear space for new tools in my tiny garage, I needed to move out a lot of the unfinished, imperfect or damaged art that I hadn’t quite been able to let go of. I had an online “garage sale” in May 2020 and donated the full proceeds to a nonprofit in my community which provides food distribution and rent relief.

Letting go of these imperfect-but-functional pieces gave me the physical and mental space to take on something new, and doing it for a cause I cared about gave me the courage to switch on my saw for the first time. Though I no longer work out of my garage, I decided to make the Garage Sale a recurring tradition, because it motivates me to let go of fear and try new things. With my collectors’ support, raising funding for nonprofits with my artwork has given me perspective and made me bolder about sharing my art, story and process, even when it’s less than perfect. Thank you!

The 2021 Garage Sale

10.5.2021 Update: With my collectors’ generosity, we raised $3200 for Komera.org with the garage sale! Thank you for your support of women and girls in Rwanda, and for supporting my own learning process with your purchases of seconds art.

From Komera.org:

In Rwanda, “Komera” means “be strong, have courage.” Komera is led by an all-female team in rural Rwanda with a mission to develop self-confident young women through programs rooted in education, community development, and sport for health. Komera believes that women have the right to lead change in their community, to experience the joy of self-discovery, and to realize their potential. The Komera Post Secondary program provides vocational training and small business development, alongside leadership and mentorship support, to create opportunities for young women to continue their education, earn a sustainable income, and lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

The 2020 Garage Sale

Photos from our first online Garage Sale in 2020, which raised $5,000 for CSAcares.org.