Meet Mélina Be | Fiber Artist & Instructoress

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

Hi Mélina, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in Germany from my german dad and my french mom. When I was almost two we moved to central France to live in the country until I was 18 and went to college in Vichy a city almost the size of Fort Collins where I live now. Then Clermont Ferrand for almost a year and then Colorado when I was 20. I have been here in the US now for 23 years, on and off but for half my life now. I have adapted to this new environment and culture so I don’t always see the differences but there are some more flagrant ones that come to mind.
I have been told I bring an old world feel or vibe to my business which makes sense. Some of the things that impact me – and my business – are the environmental sensitivity, the ill of ease I have with wastefulness and the materialism.
The materialism in the sense that Alan Watts describes in one of his talks which is the fact that I value material things and I don’t buy things as disposable but as things I would like to have for a long time. That’s why I like to work with quality materials, materials that have been around for centuries.
Another impact of my upbringing I think is the fact that I can easily put myself in other people’s shoes. I have parents of two different nationalities, even if they are both white there is a whole history between France and Germany that is not the most loving. I impersonate the fact that we can all still get along regardless of our history as long as we are kind and respectful of each other. I have learned a lot from living in the US also and try to be an ally to folks who are not heard and have been persecuted for too long.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Grateful, lucky and passionate are definitely words that come to mind. I am grateful that I don’t have to run my business out of dire necessity such as putting food on the table and paying rent. Lucky because my husband and I bought our house fifteen years ago and didn’t have to pay the high prices that people are experiencing now in Fort Collins and Colorado. We live simply and both don’t have dreams of being millionaires but of being happy. Therefore we don’t feel the need to keep up with the Joneses and a high pace life style that often stresses people out and makes them sick – mentally and physically. Passion is a big driver of my business. I love everything I do and that puts a lot of love into my creations and compassion in my teaching. All this allows me to create in a way that is very organic and free. I actually have to make an effort and put more time and thought into the accounting, computer work, social media and all around organisation of my business – a part I am a little less passionate about!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Since I have already answered this question in a previous article I will give you a tour of Saint Léger sur Vouzance, France where I grew up, and the surroundings. First you have to picture an old farmhouse in the country amongst fields and small hills. We would walk “around the house” which means about a mile. These are country roads, some dirt roads, that we can walk on and see a lot of cows, some jack rabbits if we are lucky and lots of birds. We would then go to Le Donjon, where I went to junior high-school and we would go to the only antique shop there and find some beautiful linens and wooden boxes, well built treasures from the past. Another day we would go to Digoin, where I went to high-school and get groceries and go to the droguerie and get a nice fountain pen and some paper to write cards to people we love.
On other days we could go to the great farmers market of Marcigny. We would find delicious bread, cheese, get a coffee at a local café and go to one more antique shop in a street adjacent to the market.
At some point we would take a day – or two – trip to Lyon, the city of silk. It is two hours from my hometown Saint Léger. We would visit museums, friends and just walk in the streets and get lost and find our way back with public transportation.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are a lot of people, institutions and mentors who come to mind but there is a big one that sent me on this path of my love for fiber arts and teaching. Lambspun of Colorado is a yarn and fiber store in Fort Collins where I worked for almost fifteen years before opening my own business. Shirley is the owner and when I started there Patti and Laura worked there and all three of them taught me a lot. I started working in the office at Lambspun and quickly re-learned to knit and crochet. I learned to weave, spin, felt, dye wool and fibers – and started teaching all of the above. I designed knitted garments and wrote their patterns. There were a few other teachers and special guests like Sandy and Donna who taught me a lot also in passing through Lambspun. This experience has helped to lay the foundation of my business that is now almost seven years old. I also sew, bead, basket weave and do leather work now and these are trades I have learned here and there out of curiosity and because they have common threads like sewing, making art and objects with my hands.

Website: www.melinabe.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melina_._be/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melina-bernhardt-99111115

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelinaBeArt

Image Credits
Sunshine Lady Photography Caleb Dane Young