Me Market Embraces the Power of Personal Passion Projects
Despite everything that the last year of the pandemic took away from us, one of the things it did give many of us was time at home. Lots and lots (and lots) of time. With all that time on our hands, whether in Beijing or abroad, it’s no surprise that our minds ended up wandering towards some of life’s bigger questions.
That is exactly how Beijing residents Pilaxy and Julie – aka P&J – came up with the idea for a new project, Me Market, making its debut at Tongli Market in Shunyi on Saturday, Jun 19. The disruption to their routines and the time they spent in lockdown prompted the duo to reconsider their roles in life, both in Beijing and beyond. Were they professionals, wives, mothers, or something else? How does this influence how society sees them and what potential might they have outside of these roles?
Me Market offers a platform — in the form of a craft market, as the name suggests — for people who may feel constrained by their role in life and want an outlet to express themselves creatively. That might be via a side hustle that they hope to turn into something bigger or just a personal passion project. “When we are in constant search for a sense of belongingness to one group or another over the course of our lives, at times we can get lost or feel trapped by different values or roles,” Julie explains.
P&J hopes that Me Market will not only be a place to sell things, but also a place for the community to connect and where people can feel comfortable talking openly about their personal goals and anxieties. In line with the theme of the event, all of the vendors’ booth rental fees are being donated to Beijing-based mental health non-profit CandleX, an organization that aims to increase awareness and knowledge of depression and bipolar disorder and reduce the social stigma attached to mental illness.
This article was originally published on our sister site, Jingkids International. Click here to continue reading.
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Images courtesy of the organizers