Inside the Aricomagic Workshop: The Art of Creating and Persevering

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Book Holder and materials
04/04/2025

From Idea to Fabric: The Birth of a Samoussin

The entrepreneurial journey often reads like a novel whose ending is yet to be written. With twists and turns, moments of grace, and unexpected hurdles, each chapter brings its own share of surprises. Today, I’m taking you behind the scenes of a Samoussin creation—a process where technical challenges sometimes spice up the storyline…

Every Samoussin book pillow starts with an intention: a tribute to an author who left a mark on literary history. The journey always begins with a stroll—through bookstores, fabric markets, inspiration drawn from everywhere: places I visit, magazines, series, and long research dives into the writer’s world. Choosing the fabric is never a trivial matter—it must reflect the spirit of the author while blending seamlessly into a modern interior.

For this latest creation, we wanted to capture the essence of a particularly evocative literary universe—but also of a specific place and time, as we mentioned in our previous article on The French Riviera of Writers. The early stages went as planned: material sourcing, selecting French fabrics, meticulous cutting…

When Reality Catches Up with Intention

And then, like in any good story, the unexpected appears. A technical glitch, a tool reaching its limits at the worst possible time. What seemed simple on paper suddenly reveals its complexity in the hands-on world of the workshop. Craftsmanship reminds us daily of our human nature—imperfect, limited, yet endlessly creative in overcoming obstacles. The Samoussin we’re building carries the invisible story of trials conquered, solutions found, and countless tiny adjustments.

To top it off, the weather in Provence has been downright moody lately. No chance of staging a sunny photo shoot for our upcoming summer Samoussin under a parade of threatening clouds! And yet, we’ve been working on this piece for over a season.

But maybe, just maybe, these setbacks are blessings in disguise. They give us the chance to fine-tune our creation even more… and heighten the joy of its upcoming reveal.

At Aricomagic, we see each challenge as an invitation to deepen our creative process, to sharpen our standards and our attention to detail. Every obstacle becomes a goal to conquer, every delay a reminder of our commitment to artisanal excellence.

Perseverance and Patience: What Craft Teaches Us

Mais après tout, ces contretemps ne sont-ils pas une bénédiction déguisée? Ils nous offrent l'opportunité de peaufiner encore davantage

Isn’t it a beautiful metaphor for what literature teaches us, too? In a world of instant access, great novels remind us of the value of perseverance—the fierce determination of characters facing adversity—and the virtue of patience, that quiet appreciation of time passing and shaping us. Aren’t the greatest books those where the characters evolve, grow, transform across the pages, molded by hardship like fabric beneath our fingers?

What the Great Writers Knew

I often think of the writers who shaped their work by hand—crossing out, rewriting, patiently refining their thoughts before unveiling them to the world. Take Victor Hugo, hunched over his manuscripts for endless hours, perfecting every word before gifting us the masterpieces we now admire. Or Flaubert, relentlessly polishing his sentences in search of the perfect rhythm, often to the brink of exhaustion. Colette, crafting vivid moments from daily life with elegant precision. Or the brilliant Oscar Wilde, whose wit may seem effortless, but whose plays and epigrams were meticulously honed behind the scenes.

We often forget that the apparent fluidity of beautiful prose hides hours—sometimes years—of trial, error, and unwavering persistence.

Craft as a School of Life

Our Samoussin book holder resting quietly in our workshop carries this same philosophy—an object designed to slow us down, to make space for reading, to offer a moment of stillness in a busy world. Its very making reminds us that the finest things often come from a mix of active perseverance and contemplative patience. The materials, the stitching, the color balance—all are chosen to create something that lasts, enriching itself through the stories of those who use it.

Our Samoussins are not made for fleeting moments. They are made to endure—like those books we carry through life, revealing new meanings each time we revisit them.

Waiting Gracefully

While we await the official reveal of this new creation, we invite you to rediscover the art of anticipation. Our times move fast—but there’s a special kind of pleasure in waiting. Chefs know it well: the scent that escapes from the kitchen sharpens the palate and makes the final taste even more delicious.

It’s the same with reading. The joy starts the moment we spot a book’s cover—and lingers long after we’ve turned the final page.

Three Novels That Celebrate Perseverance

📖 “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë — The story of resilience, identity, and love tested by hardship. Jane’s quiet strength reminds us how patience and self-worth are intertwined.

📖 “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway — A tale of endurance and grace, where time and solitude reveal the core of a man.

📖 “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith — A coming-of-age novel that honors perseverance through poverty, dreams, and the transformative power of books.

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