By Chase Taylor
Anbi Sivadas never planned on opening a card shop – rather, he always dreamed of cultivating his own sanctuary. A passionate artist hailing from Kerala, India, Sivadas studied temple building before moving to the United States in 2016.
In December 2019, Sivadas and his wife Chrystina Passanisi opened My Muses Card Shop, an unsuspecting storefront located at 201 E. Main Street., tucked between Thai Station and the rest of Carrboro. The idea was to build a place that can inspire and uplift the community.
In addition to cards, the store features handmade papers, art supplies, journals and an assortment of other thoughtfully curated merchandise you would have trouble finding anywhere else in the area.
“Many people mention to me that they can come here for fine, unique gifts for their families,” Sivadas said.
Sivadas sources products from all over the world. The handmade paper is crafted in Nepal and India. The store also carries ink from France, letter writing sets from the Netherlands and handmade cards from Australia.
Much of the inspiration for the products curated at the shop comes from Sivadas’s penchant for art and sanctity. He says the arrangement and orientation of the store was designed to mimic certain aspects of a traditional temple.
“Temples are built on certain principles,” he said. “The orientation of the building, the orientation of the main door, it’s all very intentional. The beauty of my shop is based on the energy of temples.”
Merely three months after the shop opened, COVID-19 went into full effect. It was then, Sivadas said, something curious happened. While many other local businesses struggled to retain customers amidst lockdowns and other financial blows, My Muses saw an influx of shoppers who wanted to send and receive handmade letters when in-person interaction was not possible.
“During peak COVID times, we were selling a lot of cards because people couldn’t really see each other. Getting a card in the mail – something tangible – it has a lot of value in it,” Sivadis said. “The primary thing is message-driven.”
Amongst card enthusiasts, local passerby, and book binding aficionados alike, My Muses quickly cemented itself as a local gem in the Carrboro area.
“Even when we call it a card shop, it’s not really a card shop,” Sivadis said, beaming proudly. “We didn’t just want another business – we wanted to bring something to the community. It’s not just products being sold here; it’s things that can uplift you.”
Before COVID-19, Sivadis intended to convert a garden area behind the store into a communal space designated for journaling, card writing and store-led calligraphy/water painting lessons. Plans are currently in the works to accomplish this in the future.
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