Meet Delaney Dillon | Wildcrafter, Vulture-Culturist and Busker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Delaney Dillon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Delaney, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Starting my own business was actually not a novel idea for me. Almost everyone in my immediate family owns their own business and have been extremely encouraging in the process of me pursuing my own – if not insistent. I’ve had a lot of chances to observe people conducting their first and following enterprises, so it was more exciting to leap into the fray than it was scary. Don’t get me wrong, I love working in the service industry and interacting with people, but my skill set is better used for creative pursuits and managing my own time. I think that was my biggest push – to be able to harvest the fruits of my own labor and feel like I was working towards something that benefited not only my future, but my overall happiness. On top of that, I’ve always been a good salesperson (another family trait) and busking it up at events just feeds my interactive nature. It seemed to me that a lot of people found businesses through creative outlets during the pandemic, however I’ve been wanting to strike out and do my own weird thing for a long while. It’s never felt like the wrong decision.

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Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am constantly torn between arts, which is the bitter dilemma of being an artist, I suppose. My creative love began with manga and anime (and, let’s be honest, that has not changed), including illustration in particular. Story driven fantasy brought to life on paper, where you can play with minds and emotions alongside color and design… It checked all the boxes.

As I got older, however, I had a growing interest in all things witchcraft, something I inherited from my mother. She is also a wildling that refuses to cater to the mundane. For me started with the practical magic of herbalism, which I still employ in many products. From there, I transcended into all things natural, including the afterlife and death, otherwise known as Vulture Culture. Just whatever felt raw and real, be it the materials I am working with, the subject matter and thought, or the narrative. Thus, I call my work by its true name: Wildcrafting. Having grown up rurally with a healthy dose of a childhood outdoors, that spark of curiosity that you have when overturning a stone to look at the bugs underneath has never ended for me. I still do that! Wildcrafting has made it possible to satiate the inquisitiveness of exploration, the practicality of craftsmanship, and the honoring of nature and its ferocious impermanence. It urges me to dig deeper, look for meaning in lines in wood or peek behind the veil of old superstitions.

My products are meant to represent all these things. I aim for as many natural or reusable materials as I can, and I do firmly believe that nothing in this world can’t be turned into art. Yes, I’m the crazy lady digging in trash cans or dragging home roadkill to make sure it has had its full use in this world. This was another thing my mother showed me: Don’t buy the costume, make it. And make it your own. So, most of my pieces are a mix of spiritual, decorative and practical. Driftwood garlands, bone and moss shadow boxes, curiosities, ritual tools, candles made from plants, bone candle holders, bath teas, bulk herbs… I try to hit it all, and I want to do more. I’m very obsessed with the history of things, with traditions or little-known enigmas, rather than what’s popular on Tik Tok or trending. I don’t want to make things everyone on Etsy is making. I want to dig into the nitty gritty of something weird or obscure and really make it pronounced in the final product.

I urge that even death can be beautiful when looking into the deepest sinews and the smallest bones inside us. The coolest part is when I get positive feedback from people who may not share my views and yet are willing to understand where it’s coming from. The ole cock of the head and the, “Huh, I never thought of using something like that.” There’s that translation again.

The translation isn’t always there, of course. There are certain markets I don’t do anymore, just because my art may not be for everyone. That’s been a trial of figuring out. Despite that, I’ve never been one to accept the idea that I should change to make others comfortable. It’s been suggested to me that I make products for a wider audience, make things that are more general and easy to swallow, but that’s just not me. Remaining authentic to the craft and to myself is a hard thing to do, yet in my mind, it’s the only way you can be truly happy. If I want people to know anything, it’s the reason I chose a magpie as my logo – I am not only a purveyor of goods, I’m a collector. I don’t make anything I wouldn’t keep myself. Heck, I would keep all of the things I find in the woods if I had the room in my life for them. Sharing them, selling them, giving them away – it’s like giving parts of me away. Sometimes literally.

And I’m ever so happy to do it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh, boy, this is a trick question. Mostly because I would take them OUT of the city. Straight to the woods for some camping where we shant see another soul about. Some of the places I don’t mind sharing the secret of are Bobcat Ridge, Pinewood Reservoir and Button Rock. But the places I go and gather or like to get totally lost, those are going to be kept close to the vest, sorry! Boyd Lake is the perfect place for a day trip for paddle boarding or a little beach volleyball.

Now, if we’re unable to head for the hills, here’s the easiest answer for breakfast: Taste Local Cafe. The coolest, most delicious breakfast food I have ever had. I am one of those breakfast nutballs, for sure, and this place will fill every craving you might have. It’s all homemade, it’s all local, and the owner, Victoria, is possibly the most genuine person I have ever met. It’s Loveland’s best kept secret! (Despite what the Nightshots sign says…)

If we aren’t too stuffed, a hearty bike ride all the way through town along the riverwalk would be absolutely delightful. So many plants to identify, so many picturesque spots, and lots of places to dip a toe in! Following this, definitely the ole second-hand shopping. Antiques, vintages, pawns. We’d spend at least 6 hours in the flea markets in the area like my mum and I do, and emerge coated in dust and happily replenished with our unique, timeless goods.

For some diverse beers after a long day of shopping, I’d pull my friend down the street to Pourhouse. The most charming staff in Loveland is here and they have 70 taps and a decent food menu. If it’s a Wednesday, we might just have to pop into East End after for some karaoke and pool before toddling our way home. The firepit is always waiting for us there, as well as the neighborhood owls. Here, we review our treasures in the firelight like cackling thieves and sip from my secret stash of scotch, singing old pub songs to disturb the neighbors.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to the stubbornly and flagrantly driven people in my life, including my given and gathered family, of whom are too many to name. Except you, Mum – I can’t do a shoutout without declaring your red headed fame. Included in this list is also my best childhood friend, Panda. Don’t stop following the call of the wild, all of you. I’m still ready to start that commune, whenever you’re ready….

To my little niece, Laina: I have know from day one that I must inspire you to be only her truest self and to love recklessly even your most darkest corners and your brightest edges. You are a constant reminder that I must set the example of authenticity. I will always be there to remind you that faeries are very much real and you shouldn’t follow them into the woods.

I also want to give a shoutout to my boyfriend, who knows I’m weird and loves it. Thank you, Nick, for smiling and nodding (if not a bit painfully) when I brought home a mummified cat. I can’t promise it will be the only one. Lastly, a shoutout to my dog, Montana, who can’t read but is sitting right next to me while I write this, so I feel awkward if he’s not included….

Website: https://www.mountainhedgewitch.com/

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