“Throughout most of my life, I’ve been traveling around the world and living in chaotic-filled cities. After attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, I wanted a calmer lifestyle, so, I moved to Salt Lake. While still in school I took a weaving class while getting my degree in fiber material studies, I became fascinated with the history and complexity of weaving, and that eventually led me to starting my own business. I developed a line of textiles and accessories and I realized that there was a market for hand woven goods in the U.S. My business, Aporta, now manufactures textiles and accessories and works with handmade goods and art from artists around the world. My woven art can be found in homes and commercial buildings around the globe.
Moving to Montana in 2017 was another step towards a lifestyle that was less busy and more time giving. The university let me work remotely and I began to manage the Arts Pass social media accounts.
Being an entrepreneur is all about taking the time to produce valuable work versus just producing for the sake of money and productivity. We have been wired to constantly produce, achieve and work, we’ve forgotten to reflect on ourselves as humans. If you think about how an artist works, they need space and time to create, so why is it any different for us to think about living our lives with that same intention.
Being surrounded by nature has increased my self-awareness. For me, life is about becoming more self-aware, because the more aware I am of myself, the better I can exist.”
— Noelle Sharp, Development community relations specialist
