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Introducing the Department Store for the Mind

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A new online store has opened, which solely sells products designed for emotional health and well-being, focusing on psychological needs rather than physical ones. The Department Store for the Mind has been created by Sophie Howarth; a teacher, writer and entrepreneur who specialises in addressing social issues with design solutions. Howarth was also behind The School of Life, and is the co-author of Street Photography Now (winner of The Observer's “Genre Photography Book of the Year” Award in 2010), and the editor of “Singular Images: Essays on Remarkable Photographs.” She has also curated photographic projects for the British Council, The Photographers' Gallery, PhotoVoice and others, and has been an advisor on social action and community development for the Cabinet Office and the Number 10 Policy Unit.

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Award-winning designer Sophie Howarth has opened a new online store, which solely sells products designed for emotional health and well-being

Her latest project, the Department Store for the Mind sells the likes of crockery designed to inspire more honest conversations, a tin of “Gut instincts,” a “Box of blessings,” and (perhaps a little more conventionally) worry beads. The online store is stocked with numerous bespoke products, and instead of being navigated by standard categories, it can be navigated by states of mind including curious, anxious, fragile and playful. Meanwhile, there are product collections such as “First Aid for the Mind,” which is designed to help with a crisis of confidence or anxiety, and the “Nature Collection,” which explores how the natural world can soothe and stimulate the mind. “Modern Living,” meanwhile, is a range of household objects designed to help people live more fully in each moment.

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The Department Store for the Mind sells the likes of crockery designed to inspire more honest conversations, a tin of “Gut instincts,” and a “Box of blessings”

Sophie Howarth said of the thought processes behind her latest project: “I’m fascinated by the way we imbue everyday objects with significance. When I look around my home, the things that are most precious to me are those that remind me of particular people or places. Shopping is often seen as a bit mindless. It doesn’t have to be that way. We design all our goods to offer delight, nourishment and support for the soul. I hope people find the store full of things that are touching, thought-provoking and soul-stretching. I hope it’s somewhere people can enjoy getting lost and feeling found. Most of all, I hope it encourages more of us to see the complexity of our minds as a wonder to be celebrated not a problem to be solved.”

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There will also be a Christmas pop-up shop for Department Store for the Mind running from 15-23 December at Unit 3 in the Old Street Underground

She added of the store itself: “All around me, people are saying they feel anxious, overwhelmed or misunderstood. Retail has typically been part of the problem - we have too much stuff but too little sense of our real psychological needs. I've created the Store because I think retail can be part of the solution. I created it as a finding place, somewhere to come for both insight and delight. You can shop according to the mood you’re in - worried or weepy, joyful or grateful, wired or serene - and choose from over 100 beautiful and useful objects including a string of worry beads, a tin of gut instincts, a pack of excuses and an extension for the end of your tether.” As well as the online store (open now) there will also be a Christmas pop-up shop for Department Store for the Mind running from 15-23 December at Unit 3 in the Old Street Underground. We'll see you there!

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Sophie Howarth

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