Why Do You Do What You Do?

“If I can just bring something back to life, even if it’s just as small as a pair of shoes, that makes me happy,” says Holly, a shoe shiner in Kansas City.

She’s trying to modernize her industry before it becomes obsolete. She says part of the problem is that those who came before her haven’t had the demand to train others, but she wants to bring innovation to the centuries-old skill she loves.

“People call it a lost art, but it’s really just something people don’t really want to do, and I want to do it.”

Every Tuesday and Thursday through the end of February, Flatland will share stories of Kansas City’s neighbors. Find them online here and on Flatland’s Youtube page — and don’t forget to subscribe.