Art block (aka artist block or creative block) is terrible, and it’s something that all artists struggle with from time to time, which is ok! There are many different ways to try and get out of it, but for me, one of my favorites is to go out and find interesting places to draw inspiration from.

I recently got the opportunity to visit On & On, a vintage marketplace in Scranton. As an avid thrifter hearing about On & On and what they do was intriguing. Walking around the shop was incredible, there were things to look at in every nook and corner of the industrial building. I felt like a kid running around on a scavenger hunt, never knowing what I was going to find next. The owners Meegan Possemato and Andrew Planey created a beautifully diverse and rich environment that brings together over 50 artists and vendors to offer an array of vintage, handmade, and repurposed items. I found it to be a wonderful opportunity to appreciate older design and compare how it’s changed from then to now.

On & On started in May 2018 with some pop-ups. Originally to garner attention they partnered with a live theater group who volunteered to act as live mannequins for the storefront.  In July 2019 they signed a lease on the 500 block of Scranton, and now they’ve moved on to a large industrial building that is filled to the brim with bits of history. One of the owners, Meegan Possemato, expresses their appreciation for looking for mid-century things to supply the store due to the abundance of houses filled with items from the 50s & 60s in Scranton.

The beauty of antique stores lies in their ability to connect the past with the present. It’s a great way to observe and take inspiration from older styles and designs. Each item in the store has a rich history, whether it’s a piece of furniture that’s been passed down through generations, a vintage photo capturing a forgotten moment, or a piece of handcrafted jewelry that reflects the craftsmanship of a foreign decade. There was a box filled with old photos of different people, in different areas. I could’ve looked through it for ours and there was so much to take away from them. Like background references for landscapes, clothing, and patterns. Even the people themselves had so much personality in the photos that could inspire. I also found some old vintage matchbooks, they were 50 cents each. So I picked out a few that I loved and found clever. One of my favorites was one that had different poker hands for each match stick so that you could randomly draw ones with friends and see who won. Another was one from a diner, and it had little fish drawn along the matches creating a really fun design to look at whenever you opened it up. I also found one with what looked like an old wrapper design for Wriggly’s spearmint gum, which I thought was really cool especially when compared to how the design has changed now.

I love antique stores because everyone is different. They represent the community in which they reside. On & On takes it a step further by also serving as a space for local artists and vendors to sell their handmade and repurposed items. Many of the artists that work with On & On have goals of taking something older and bringing new life to it. For instance, Mechanical Concepts takes repurposed automotive parts and creates lighting, while Reclamation and Industrial Furnishings uses old industrial machine parts and reclaimed wood to make huge tables. Wax Junkies repurposes vintage bottles to make soy wax candles and Vintage Meegan makes purses from recovered materials. Each artist has found a unique way of preserving the item’s history and culture while incorporating a bit of their own identity to honor both the past and present.

I totally recommend people to visit the store, it an amazing, and it’s a great opportunity to look for inspiration from the past for projects and pieces. Plus it’s just a really fun place to explore especially if you enjoy thrifting.

Thanks for reading! I hope you guys had a great Valentine’s Day!

Emma <3

If you want to know more about On&On heres there website. I definitely recommend checking them out! :https://onandonscranton.com