Hello Crafters, Creators, and Makers of all kind, and Happy National Day of Making! We love that in the past few years more and more Americans are looking to their neighbors and friends as well as local/regional sources to buy things that they used to purchase from faceless corporations. It's exciting to watch people actually discover where their goods come from--whether that's forming a relationship with a farmer or small grocer, buying handmade decorations and accessories, or searching for local businesses to accomplish a task or need. All across the country and even across the globe, people want to buy from other specific people.
We're also very proud that Indie Craft Parade has helped facilitate some of these changes in our own area. Every time we host the Festival or The Makers Summit, we see new artists taking the next step to increase what they make, and we see new people in the community hungry to buy from them.
So in this spirit of celebrating making, we join Maker Faire in spreading the word about this day dedicated to making. For those of you unfamiliar with Maker Faire, a brief explanation: Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is an all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. All of these “makers” come to Maker Faire to show what they have made and to share what they have learned.
Maker Faire hosts events all across the country to support individuals and businesses using their creativity. While the scope of Maker Faire is much broader than Indie Craft Parade, many of our objectives are the same. Chiefly...promoting making, and everyone who's doing it. Maker Faire's impact has become so extensive that it even caught the attention of the President. Today the White House itself is hosting its first ever Maker Faire (as explained by OK GO in this video).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaTgKLym0Dg
So spend part of your day celebrating making. If you're an artist or crafter, show the world what you're working on. If you know makers who should be celebrated, tag them in your social media posts. And be sure to watch all of the action of the Maker Faire at the White House today. Follow #NationOfMakers on Twitter and Facebook. Oh, and of course, tag Indie Craft Parade on Instagram when you post photos what you're making.
P.S. If you're curious which makers we're loving right now, check out our newly added Etsy page. Celebrate making! Celebrate handmade!