About
Why
One of the reasons
I created Smodge
and chose to share it
with the world
is because I want people
to remember something
we may have once known.
That there are
many plants in this world
that can take the place
of tobacco leaves.
Perhaps this is
not so much
a new idea,
but a way of gently
returning a forgotten choice
to our hands.
Quitting smoking
does not always have to mean
suddenly cutting everything off
all at once.
I believe
there can also be a path
of gentle transition,
taken one step at a time.
Rather than forcing ourselves
to change,
perhaps by listening
and being kind to ourselves,
we can move forward naturally
without being pulled back
to where we began.
Before You Buy
When you hold Smodge
in your hands,
you may suddenly think,
“I could probably
make this myself.”
And yes,
that feeling
is right.
Trust your intuition.
Choose the plants
that naturally
draw you in,
and try making something
with your own hands.
It may be
more affordable,
less of a financial burden,
and perhaps
a little more relaxed.
The time spent
blending different herbs
may also become
an unexpectedly
enjoyable part
of the experience.
The rolling papers
and the herbs
are already
all around you.
You will likely find them
at a nearby shop
or somewhere online.
There was never
anything
you had to buy
from us
in the first place.
A Gift
Smodge may be
a thoughtful gift
for someone who smokes,
or perhaps
a small beginning
that helps someone you care about
move toward
a lighter habit,
little by little.
Of course,
our intentions do not always arrive
in the form
we imagined.
For some people,
even a well meant gesture
may feel unwanted.
Something offered with care
will not always be received
in the way
we hoped.
And yet,
perhaps the feeling behind it,
“I care about you,”
will remain somewhere
within them.
A Suggestion
Smodge was not created
simply so that people
would keep buying it
again and again.
Rather,
it is a quiet suggestion
that another path
may be possible.
What matters to us
is not that you continue
to purchase Smodge,
but that it becomes
a small beginning,
opening a door
to something
already waiting
within you.
If it can fulfill
that purpose,
then that alone
is enough.
Because if Smodge
were built upon
the expectation
that you would return
and buy it
again and again,
it would eventually
place itself
within the very same structure
as tobacco,
only under
a different name.
Another Path
However,
this does not mean
that I wish to reject
tobacco entirely.
Throughout history,
tobacco has held
an important place
in moments
that bring people together,
as well as
in many rituals
and cultures.
And perhaps,
it will continue
to be loved
and passed down
for generations
to come.
I do not wish
to deny its value.
I simply hope
that Smodge can offer
a little support
to those
who feel ready
to take a step back,
or who are beginning
to feel prepared
to let it go.