My goal for 2026 was to receive three rug commissions. So far, only one has come through. There are still two months left in the year, and I haven’t given up on the goal.

But running a small business here is about much more than setting targets. It means trying to build something while living with the constant uncertainty of war, the threat of internet shutdowns, a rapidly weakening national currency, and relentless inflation.

Sometimes, it feels like trying to grow a small plant in the middle of a storm. You can’t control the wind, but you can keep protecting the roots. 🌱

I haven’t lived through the First or Second World Wars. But I know that living through this kind of uncertainty, in an age when science and technology have given us so many possibilities, demands an extraordinary amount of mental strength. It takes resilience to keep your mind clear when everything around you is trying to overwhelm it. It takes courage to keep imagining a future when the present makes it difficult to plan even a few months ahead.

And still, I choose to create.

Every rug I make is more than a piece of art. It’s a way to keep building, to support the people whose livelihoods depend on this work, and to prove to myself that even in the hardest circumstances, something beautiful can still grow.

I may not be where I hoped to be by now, but I’m still here, still creating, and still believing in what I’m building. ❤️