Sometimes you meet people and instantly feel at home. You know— those people that have a way about them, they’re welcoming, exciting, bubbly and just downright sweet. And that’s exactly who Chasidy Hathorn is.
I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Chasidy awhile back. I still deem that as one of the most intentional and truest conversations I’ve had with a complete stranger.
She gave me a tour of her art gallery-like home, allowed me to peer inside her studio, and told me the tales of the trinkets on her shelf full of memories. She’s the perfect cross between Rachel Greene and Monica Geller, need I say more?
Chasidy, a Mississippian at heart, a well-known artist in the region, a teacher for over 15 years and a lover of Jonesborough.
Her dedication to art, history and old things stems from memories of her grandfather. As she delicately rolled his harmonica over in her hand, she explained how she admired his kind heart and hardworking nature.
“Keep little treasures like this because it’s how we remember.” Chasidy said, “People think we remember through photographs, but that’s a forced memory. When you have an object, you create your own memory around that object.”
Chasidy has a thing for trinkets and treasures of the past like her grandfather’s harmonica or the vintage coke bottle she once sipped on while sitting on his front porch swing, listening to stories.
It’s no wonder Chasidy’s trinket loving, story seeking and artful eyes were so drawn to Jonesborough back in 2014.
“When we first moved here I was trying to find my way,” she said. “I was almost afraid to get involved, to get settled. I finally began to explore, and I found Jonesborough. It made me feel at home.”
While Chasidy and I chatted, she worked on a piece inspired by her grandfather. She gently glided her brush over the words “empty chair” as she described days of the past spent with him.
A dumpster diving veteran, the daughter to a true pioneer of upcycling, an old soul with southern roots, a reviver of dilapidated furniture, and the kind of lady that would offer anyone to “sit a spell while sharing stories from the past”. This is what makes Chasidy Hathorn the artist, teacher, mother, friend and inspiration she is today.