Hi makers! It's Kelly, back with another great topic for this round of Our Maker Life's Question of the Week. I think we can all agree, buying handmade is about more than just a purchase. Sometimes it's easy to forget there's a real person behind the small businesses we peruse online or at local events. People who are pouring their all into their work. Parents supporting their families, students putting themselves through school, individuals saving for the future. Whether the handmade business is a full time gig, or a way to put a little extra money in the bank, there's no denying you're supporting a person in one way or another when you buy handmade. As a maker and small business owner myself, I make a conscious effort to shop local and buy handmade as much as I can. For the last two years, 90% of the gifts I gave to loved ones at Christmas were locally made (selling at markets and finding myself consistently surrounded by the handmade world definitely made this a lot easier!). My thought is, if I hope and expect people to buy my own handmade items, why wouldn't I give that same handmade love to other makers? The warm and fuzzy part of buying handmade isn't just the fact you're quite possibly putting food on someone's table or funding a child's dance class. Beyond the obvious financial support, you're also boosting the self esteem of someone who is tirelessly working towards doing what they love as more than just a hobby. By golly, you're supporting someone's dream! I can say from personal experience, there's no better feeling than knowing people are willing to buy something you made by hand. Here's why Claire of @autumnandindigo, Anne of @trin_annelie, Ashley of @ashleyerikadesigns, and Destiny of @kniftyknittings think it's important to buy handmade. Why do you think it's important for people to buy handmade?
Why do you think it's important for people to buy handmade? Tell us in the comments below, or tag us on our @ourmakerlife with #ourmakerlife with a picture of your maker life for a chance to be featured on our feed! If you have a question in mind you would like to see answered by fellow makers, just send us a quick 'OML QOTW' email - we'd love to put together a QOTW with you. Happy Making! Kelly, OML dream team Kelly is the mind, body and soul behind @knitbrooks: handmade modern knitwear inspired by nature’s endless beauty. After completing a photojournalism program, Kelly used both knitting and crocheting as a way to relax after a long day working as a reporter/photographer. This hobby has since transformed into a way to combine her love of creating fashionable knitwear, with her passion for photography, a cozy lifestyle, and her awe and admiration of the untouched wilderness.
1 Comment
1/25/2017 02:39:44 am
Buying handmade is important because you are helping human workers. Whenever you buy from automated products, you are lessening the manpower in a business. This just means that we are supporting handmade products. It will also produce an effect wherein, more people will be given jobs. I hope that more business owners and large corporations look into this issue.
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