Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1475157
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM AUGUST 3 - 9, 2022 UCW 15 COVER STORY KATHLEEN RAMSEY,Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? editor@upand- comingweekly.com. 910-484-6200. approval. She is proud of it. Pearson is about halfway done with a certi- fication in herbal medicine and plans to move full steam ahead. As an artist, Pearson finds that things in her life are constantly evolving. She started e Fayetteville Pie company as a way to get space to cater the events at her venue. is led to the Pie Co's first location on Rowan street. "We thought — why wouldn't we open it as a restaurant for lunch. We landed on pies." is was in part because Pearson grew up near her grandmother in Missouri. Her and her cousins often found themselves in and out of her grandmother's home and she would have "one dish wonders" available for all the kids. For Pearson, savory pies were part of normal, everyday life. "ere was never a day where there wasn't a pie cooling on the counter. My grandmother was into gardening and pickling and canning," she said. Her grandmother also first introduced Pear- son to herbal and natural medicines. One of the things her grandmother introduced her to brought her to the next. In her life, as Pearson notes, one thing usually leads to another. "e pie shop took off on its own accord. It became very successful and I'm proud of that business … but now I'll be the herb lady instead of the pie lady." She sold the pie shop in December 2021 in order to devote more time to the business that was evolving naturally before her eyes. "at allowed me to put something to bed and start something new. I love to start busi- nesses, I guess," Pearson laughs then becomes serious. "is is one I think I could really die in — work until I'm 80 years old." Pearson's plan for Curate Essentials is to join the herbal apothecary portion with an artist studio and community art space including holding classes. She would like to see educa- tion on natural dyeing, eco printing and of course, herbal education. "I want to bring it all full circle." Part of that for Pearson is the inclusion of her beloved sister, Leigh Gonzalez. As kids Gonzalez and Pearson often spoke about opening a coffee shop/slash used book store when they grew up. As life usually does, the two sisters' paths took them in different direc- tions. Pearson found herself completing her masters in museum studies in England and then later coming back to the states and join- ing the military to help with student loans. "I asked [the Army], 'what's the most cre- ative thing I can do?' I became a photojournal- ist." Pearson's husband also served in the mili- tary which brought them to Fort Bragg. ey are now, as she says, Fayetteville by choice. For Pearson, there's "more to do here" than she can accomplish and the progression of it all felt natural. One thing in art usually leads to another. In life it is the same. "It feels like you just follow a path … You might turn left or turn right a little bit but it all works out. Like right now, my life and this shop represents everything I know and every- thing I like coming full circle for me." Pearson says the biggest part of that is her love of working with her sister. For both of them, this shop seemed like a "pipe dream" that they began to think was never going to happen. Now, the two move seamlessly inside the shop and speak quietly to one another. Gonzalez appears a bit more shy than Pearson but it is clear that the sisters have a deep love for one another. "It's been fun working toward this dream together," Gonzalez said. "I think because we are sisters we have good communication and are better equipped to work together through things that are stressful." One stress for them is the amount of hard work needed for a growing business. Pearson said she "basically" lives at the shop. For her though, the plunge into this business was easy and the hard work was expected. In the beginning, she says, it's all about the push as a business owner. "It's been a struggle but as an artist, I can vi- sualize better than most people. In my mind's eye I can see what the outcome might be. I do that with my artwork. at has served me well," Pearson said. At the end of the night, Pearson will go home tired. She'll water the gardens here and then those at her home. She will do some cross- word puzzles to help turn her mind off and let it rest. Sitting down and having a conversation with her, it is clear that turning her mind off is rare indeed. "My brain is always on fire," she laughs. She details the hard work it takes as a business owner again and then stops before saying, "I do try and get some sleep." For today, Pearson is sitting on her porch, talking with her customers and dreaming of opening a space for art classes. Maybe it'll be next door, she jokes. She smiles again and looks around. "I'm just glad to be able to give my whole heart to it right now." Leslie Pearson (left) and her sister Leigh Gonzalez (right) are making a childhood dream of opening a shop together a reality with Curate Essentials. (Photo by Kathleen Ramsey)