“I feel much better about it now” in 100,000 words or less
A bit back I watched Maxed Out and King Corn and left both wondering what role I play in the mass consumption and extreme materialistic culture we have become. After the movies, my role was problematic. I make things. Things that I want people to buy. Not only do I want people to buy them, I really *need* people to buy them. It is my livelihood, it is my family’s only income right now and without the continued support, we would be in real trouble. But I was struck wondering what role I played in the problem. Wishing I could produce things and work on the barter system alone. Dreaming of how amazing it would be to swap skills, items and food with other folks. Wishing I could exchange a wooden keepsake for more ink or my dentist bill for a collection of rubber stamps, trade my rent for a few wedding toppers. But it’s not practical, cash is king. I can work at doing the best I can but, inevitably, cash is necessary. And I make mine by creating things, items, goods to sell.
About this time, I also ran across a company based in Korea that had stolen some of my stamp designs and was producing a stamp set with some of my own designs. Besides the shock and sadness that they were so blatantly ripping me off, I was struck by how cheaply they were selling the set. It sent my mind to another spot of what is more important, the fact that you have a cute stamp or a cute *handmade* stamp. Because the cost of the two is very different. This lead to what is the true cost of handmade. Some people look at a handmade item and think they could make some version of that idea for cheaper. And you very well may be able to do just that, but the cost of a product is not merely in the computation of the supplies used in the end result. Having been self-employed for several years now, the cost is so much higher. There are taxes, healthcare costs, web hosting fees, publicity costs, legal and accounting fees, countless hours designing and perfecting an item, searching and sourcing the right materials–the list is endless, seemingly ceaseless. Yet, therein lies the difference, it’s not just about getting that cute stamp. When you buy handmade directly from an individual, you are investing in me. And not just in me, but in my products, in my ideas and in my own well-being. When you buy something from me, you just gave me a double high five. We just connected and shook hands like mad. Seriously, its the most wonderful feeling to go buy groceries and know that I am buying groceries this week thanks to the support of Anna, Todd, Margaret and a boutique store in Australia. They made it possible. It is truly the most beautiful experience.
Then wouldn’t you know, two days ago NPR was broadcasting a show about dying and how to do it well. The idea of putting affairs in order, telling folks what you want to tell them now, not in a year from now because a year from now may not happen. (Which is not a guarantee for anyone, me included.) And it brought back up all these thoughts and I realized this is what was missing in my equation before, in my computation of what role I played in the buy, buy, need more, materialistic mentality. It was the experience and the community we share. I don’t make things to show other people how rich you are, or make things to impress your neighbors. I make things to create and share a memory with you, to create an experience you will remember. To bring things and people together. And I’m so blessed and lucky to be given the opportunity to do that. And I hope that when you buy something from me, that connection is felt. Even though time does not always allow me the opportunity to respond fully to every question or to say yes to every request, I hope that the objects I make celebrate a moment for you. And I hope that this space, this steno pad, provides direction for you to make and share more with your family and peeps. And while it may be nice to consider a cash-free society, I’m feeling pretty darn good these days about my role in the current one. High five to that!
I leave you with an image of my buddy squirrel who came so close to me yesterday, I swear it would have jumped on my leg and crawled around to my shoulder and kissed my cheek if I had stayed still just a moment longer. How’s that for the bigger picture giving me a high five, too. Either that, or I was convinced it might take the clothespin doll I was photographing under my tripod. I bet it needed a little something to up the ante on his pending nut stash swap. You can have it tomorrow, little man. I’ll leave it by the back door.
Entry Filed under: potluck
78 Comments Add your own
1. Lola | September 2nd, 2009 at 12:57 pm
Thank you for putting it into perspective. I create mostly for myself, and for the joy of sharing the creation.
What a beautiful world, where we can do what we love and enjoy life because of it!
2. Amanda Elizabeth | September 2nd, 2009 at 12:58 pm
This is seriously a very very very great blog post! Hugest high five EVER!
3. denise | September 2nd, 2009 at 1:03 pm
hive fiving you over here too!
4. Mandy | September 2nd, 2009 at 1:27 pm
Me and my little girl do a “high five in the air” and we say “pshhhh!!!” Good words you’ve said here. High five in the air!! Pshhh!
5. Melissa Crowe | September 2nd, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Amen, my dear, amen! And high fives all around!
6. marceline | September 2nd, 2009 at 2:17 pm
what a lovely post! it is hard to take a step back sometimes when we’re all trying to make ends meet but you’ve got it dead right. This is exactly why I love the handmade community :)
7. janice | September 2nd, 2009 at 2:49 pm
So well articulated Sarah~
I have this same internal discussion with myself + externally with friends + acquaintances. It is a tough one.
While many types of businesses have been challenged by the current economy, I also tend to believe that self employed artists + arts + crafts minded businesses often have unique struggles when it comes to staying afloat.
Our wares are not always considered a necessity + in the current economic climate one must weigh purchasing decisions carefully.
I do believe it comes down to choices. I try and make small, thoughtful + thought-filled choices each day. Yesterday I had the choice at the grocery store of purchasing a very small package of snow peas that came from the other side of the globe for under $2. The larger package of locally grown snow peas—much more than I needed—was almost $8. I could not bring myself to purchase the smaller package regardless of the price difference. I had an inner dialogue with myself about the entire process-before, during and after. I was quite conscience + that to me makes the difference. Also, we quite like snow peas in our house and so we will be enjoying them 6 ways from Sunday this week!
Recently I had an experience similar to your rubber stamp experience. Huge multi-million dollar company orders many products, sends all products overseas to be mass-produced. I had the order on my desk since last autumn waiting to see how it would play out. It played out exactly as I predicted. While many of my items are vintage, many are made by small family owned businesses—and all of these items were copied. How will this affect those small businesses? I will not go into detail about how this has affected me, just to say that it has.
Many of us choose to create + offer unique items. Many of us choose to bring vintage + repurposed items to the forefront—both conscious decisions.
I know Sarah that you are conscious of this as one of my own customers. When I look at artwork I have purchased form you (I adore my alphabet) or other independent artists, I feel good. I have made a connection. That is what I want in my personal space—a connectedness.
I think this is a good dialogue to engage in, it helps educate our customers about why we do what we do + specifically what it means to us~ high fives all around.
Janice
8. cindy | September 2nd, 2009 at 2:59 pm
hi five, girl!
9. Melanie | September 2nd, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Well said! Keep doing what you are doing. Thanks for sharing your words and your talents, you are truly an inspiration. Enjoy the journey.
10. Rachel (Heart of Light) | September 2nd, 2009 at 3:17 pm
There is such a world of difference between buying a handmade item and buying a ton of crap. Like you, I find intense joy in buying and selling directly. It’s like getting and giving a gift at the same time. I treasure the handmade pieces I own and I don’t ever have buyers remorse, the way I used to when I would buy stuff from bigger stores.
11. B! | September 2nd, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Sarah, that is a beautiful explanation about why you do what you do and makes me like you even more. Super hi-fives a plenty from Chi-town!
12. Emily | September 2nd, 2009 at 4:03 pm
I just started following your blog a couple of weeks ago, and I don’t usually ever comment, but this post was absolutely spot on. Thank you. The amount of care and thoughtfulness that is built into your products absolutely shows. Bravo!
13. kate | September 2nd, 2009 at 5:06 pm
high fiving with both paws!
14. Megan | September 2nd, 2009 at 5:16 pm
What a wonderful post. I love shopping handmade, not just for the heart behind the work, but also the easy way to support artists and crafters and our economy is a healthy way. I’m glad you can buy your food from your art. Thank you!
15. Kathy | September 2nd, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Awesome. I think you are right about it being about community. That is the one thing I can never get over is how indie shop owners tend to know each other and run in similar “circles” even though they rarely meet face to face. I’m glad you were able to work your thoughts out and be happy in your role. Lovely post.
16. amy k. | September 2nd, 2009 at 5:37 pm
oh, so well said. wonderful and so right on with my feelings. we DO consume—there is no way we can’t, but how we do it? and who we support? and how does it make us feel? These are the important things to consider, I think.
17. jenny b harris | September 2nd, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Wow, what an honest, moving and positive post, that puts so much important stuff into perspective. Great insight.
18. suzanne | September 2nd, 2009 at 7:38 pm
well said. thank you, sarah. a much needed post to read today, especially after ordering my next small object installment yesterday! i love supporting other artists as i’m supported by others. we are a part of shared investment in each other. peace.
19. little t jane | September 2nd, 2009 at 7:52 pm
thank you for posting this entry- so much love & high fives to you! :D
20. jen j-m | September 2nd, 2009 at 8:19 pm
this resonates so strongly with me. thanks for writing what so many of us feel. high five.
21. emily | September 2nd, 2009 at 9:15 pm
yes yes yes. so beautifully said. i am reminded, once again, that the truth is in the nuance - that consumption isn’t necessarily bad, when approached with love and care. thank you for that.
22. jen | September 2nd, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Wonderfully put. I’m with ya!
23. carrie | September 2nd, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Word. Awesome post, my friend.
24. Cate | September 2nd, 2009 at 9:38 pm
thanks so much for writing this, I can really relate. You’ve lifted my spirits :)
25. kelly | September 2nd, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Shop handmade!
Double High 5 from L.A!
Well written post!
26. abbyjane | September 2nd, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Thank you for this honest, thoughtful post. It really captures the essence of the interchange between a customer and a maker. I always feel that buying something handmade directly from the person who made it is a creative act in and of itself. I’ve never read a better description of this interchange. Well done!
27. Ashley | September 2nd, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Well said, including the comments here. I get so much joy from the handmade things I purchase. Part of that joy, probably the biggest part, is the connection I’ve made with the maker. That is what’s missing in corporate consumer goods. Let them copy your designs. The people who value you and your work aren’t ever going to be their customers anyway. Your customer base is happy to own something YOU made, which goes beyond simply owning the thing itself. The copying is still deplorable, of course.
28. lesley [smidgebox designs] | September 2nd, 2009 at 10:57 pm
this is such a lovely post. it has struck a chord, and given me so many things to ponder. handmade is amazing, and i love how you’ve articulated it so beautifully here. thankyou!
29. maya | springtree road | September 2nd, 2009 at 11:26 pm
really gorgeous post. :)
30. vanessa | September 3rd, 2009 at 1:40 am
i saw the korean stamps on the web before too but i’m investing in you! (:
31. Marisa and Creative Thursday | September 3rd, 2009 at 2:21 am
So well said. Thank you for this. And by the way, I love your creations SO very much. Keep on keeping on. We need what you add to this world.
32. melissa | September 3rd, 2009 at 4:46 am
thank you for this beautifuly written post. it really resonates with me too, but i was unable to put it into words.
33. Lori Wostl | September 3rd, 2009 at 8:19 am
Great post - Kelly sent me here. How will I know if I am getting your product or the rip-off? I think this happens more than we know and unknowingly we support it.
34. naoko | September 3rd, 2009 at 9:46 am
Hats off to you for doing what you love, and keeping afloat. I know it must not always be easy. Keep smiling. You inspire.
35. sarah | September 3rd, 2009 at 9:53 am
These comments have all been so great to read, thanks for offering your opinions!
And Lori, as for the copyright infringement by the Korean company, legal action was a necessary next step I took. There should be no more of their stamps in circulation. A number of my customers wrote to tell me they were copies so any familiarity with my product line was enough to easily discern them, and obviously, the packaging was different.
36. kath | September 3rd, 2009 at 10:09 am
great post. have you read Philip K Dick’s book “The man in the high castle” - your paragraph about the Korean company mass producing your handmade goods reminds me of one section in the book where that happens.
37. Karin | September 3rd, 2009 at 10:22 am
Great post, I’d like to add that as the maker and purchaser of handmade it is so much about the heart that a creator puts into making that gives the creation soul. I know that item was *crafted*: held by human hands conceived in a creative mind, not by that of a copy cat. This may be a materialistic world but I feel the handmade movement has morphed mass consumption to that of considerate consumption (for some). They may be more expensive but I choose that one item over a handful of noting-so-special. My home isn’t cluttered with whatevers, it is warmed with the hands that made the things that make my house a home.
38. Poppy Porter | September 3rd, 2009 at 10:32 am
Hello, I came through to your thought provoking post via an etsy tweet. I love talking to my customers and it is amazing how much they want to know more about you the maker and it is that knowledge that creates a memory and an intrinsic value in what you sell. It is almost as if they want a piece of you preserved in your work, which is what happens naturally when something is handmade. With this in mind I started a blog of my own so that my customers can know more about how I work. Very fledgeling at the moment! I am hoping that it will go some way to fill in for that personal touch the web can lack when compared with face to face sales.
39. Stephanie Fizer | September 3rd, 2009 at 10:42 am
So beautifully reasoned! Thanks for sharing :)
40. Mary Barber | September 3rd, 2009 at 10:50 am
A lovely written piece! I have been an artist all of my life, and have been a victim of art theft. The general public thinks if you are creative, it’s natural talent that should be shared (for free) They don’t see us provide goods and services. I love to paint and will never stop, but I know people cut and copy my work for free when it is online. I now make jewelry for the last five years, for some reason people find more value in it. I love to stamp and share that passion with my daughter and family, I will be supporting you and buying stamps whenever possible. THanks again for sharing! You have a lovely heart. verymaryjewelry
41. Catherine Witherell | September 3rd, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I love your shop and my little alphabet stamp and will get things from you again. This post is very good. I write a blog too and sometimes the pressure to think of something original on command is just too much for me. I like to spend time creating something new from deep inside and yes sometimes the money asked doesn’t reflect the true amount of time that went into making the object. P.S. I love the peanut bag and the postcard AND that little card you put in each package! You made me keep on wanting to make what I have hidden inside my head. I love it all! Catherine
42. Jane | September 3rd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I too have been there. A film festival focused on documentaries as well as reading “animal, vegetable, miracle” had me asking the same questions. My first decision was to continue shopping but to focus the majority of my dollars on either resale or buying directly from the artist. For a year now we have made a big effort to eat locally. We decided a few years ago to reduce our footprints by giving up meat. Then buying organic & planting a big garden. That said I keep remembering someone saying “every dollar is a vote”. And it’s true. I’m voting for the craftspeople, the artists. It’s tough to do everything-but supporting businesses like yours instead of Walmart, well that’s easy.
My order from you the other day was beautiful. I’ve never been that happy taking stuff out of a bag from a big box store. You are so worth it!
43. Sarah | September 3rd, 2009 at 3:14 pm
I am so glad you are feeling better about what you do, and you said it so well. One of my favorite things, apart from making things, is buying a piece of art that someone else has made. It really is less about having the object than the shared experience. Something about that object strikes a chord with me, some part of me realizes that a thought, or a feeling, or an aesthetic is shared with someone else, and I feel like my purchase completes that connection. I’d also much rather support a craftsperson than feed into a mass-producing corporation.
44. Leigh Kelsey | September 3rd, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Sarah,
Reading this post gave me chills. Right on! I wish there was a way to convey this to customers simply without sounding preachy, but it’s so so true! Thank you for posting this!
Leigh
45. Jen | September 3rd, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Loved this post, Sarah. It’s so true.
46. Sara | September 3rd, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Sarah, to me on of the most appealing things about your ‘products’ has always been that they come from your hands and heart–not some mass produced enormous machine. We “consumers” can feel the connection to you and that is beautiful. Also, your goods are well made and LAST. Today, the first day that has felt truly fallish and in celebration I put on my Forrest Friends t-shirt…the one I plan on passing down to my kiddo as soon as it fits. Thanks for being you and sharing you with us!
47. eva / sycamore street press | September 3rd, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Sarah,
As a fellow handmade vendor, I have wrestled with these issues in my own head. I’ve wondered if I am just contributing to the consumer culture and if I should just quit and go get a nursing degree or something. But I decided to stop beating myself up and came to the same conclusion as you. This post was very inspiring, and made me feel that much better about what us “makers” are doing. Thanks so much! I love your beautiful things.
48. eva / sycamore street press | September 3rd, 2009 at 6:30 pm
p.s. I just noticed that you link to us under your Etsy link list. Thank you:)
49. Emily | September 3rd, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Thanks for this wonderful, heart-felt post. And for just being really… good.
50. Katie | September 4th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
I have this conversation all the time. Weekly. It usually leads to chocolate and a little pep talk by some important people in my life. I know you have those people.
Double high-fives all the way around. Well written, well spoken, well said.
51. Mandy | September 4th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I firmly stand by locally owned businesses and self-employed persons, such as yourself. I’d much rather purchase from these sorts as opposed to going to a large retailer. It may cost a little more, but I think it’s worth it.
Here’s to your trade and your livelihood, which is important and appreciated!
52. Lauren | September 4th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Thank you for the inspiring post AND the new items from Chronicle books. Just received mine today and they are fabulous!
53. Jenny | September 4th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Thank you so much for writing down the conversation I have had in my head so many times.
54. Shanna Murray | September 4th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Beautifully put. Thank you, Sarah. I think plans are coming together on my end to place an order and give you a high five. I’ve been waiting a long time to be able to do so! It is so true that in sharing your wonderful work you are helping create moments. Cheers to you for all the inspiration, and for making something to dream towards. xxoo
55. Jane | September 4th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Thank you Sarah for continuing the conversation that is so pivotal right now in our society. We all make choices every day about our purchases. Clearly we’re all feeling how out of balance our values and subsequently our lives have become. The only way to bring back balance will have to be masses of us living with intention. Slowly many are waking up, but the dialogue needs to happen again and again and again.
I am a maker as well and have been launching a handmade business in a machine made time. People are hungry for something real so it’s up to us to communicate what it means for us to do this work and become visible in the loop of object and maker.
Thanks for making and talking.
Jane
56. Adrienne | September 4th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Sarah, that was said perfectly. I deal with the handmade/mass produced issues everyday. I work for a company that handcrafts concrete countertops and am forever being told they can get something else for cheaper. We all know that handmade is worth more. Keep up the good fight and we will, too. High five from one handmade mama to another! =]
57. Laurel | September 5th, 2009 at 1:33 am
Thank you so much for this. I’ve had my little business for about a year and I’ve been feeling sort of at a crossroads lately for some of the reasons you list above. Burned out, confused, unsure of what I want or need to do. So I’ve been kind of drifting. This was just the perfect time to come across this post. Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this.
58. Caren | September 5th, 2009 at 10:35 am
I loved your take on buying handmade being an investment in the craftsperson, in individual lives on both sides of the spectrum. What an eloquent way to put it!
59. Adriana | September 5th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Thanks for your words. You’ve done a fantastic job in explaining the beauty of buying handmade.
Keep up the good job!
60. Callie | September 5th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
This is an amazing post and so true. Thank you for sharing and your work is definitely worth investing in.
61. josie | September 6th, 2009 at 9:27 am
High 5 Sarah! As someone who is just about to give up her small business I could not agree with you more. Your role as a small business selling handmade goods is so important because you are giving the consumers a choice. I would rather buy one of your stamps than ten mass made ones. Buying from you not only provides connections and community but it makes me think about how I spend my money…and that is hugely important.
I have nothing but admiration for all the small business people (pun intended) who are able to make a living doing what they love.
It is so much more work than I could have imagined and I take my hat off you.
62. Michelle | September 7th, 2009 at 8:41 am
You are saying the things I want to say, but I’m usually too afraid that I will sound like a scorned, screeching banshee if I say the words. So thank you. I think everyone who creates, and everyone who purchased handmade should read your post.
63. STL Mom | September 7th, 2009 at 10:40 am
When I think about the current economy and the environmental impact of consumerism, it makes me feel guilty about shopping. But when I buy from a small locally-owned shop, or from a seller on Etsy, I feel like I’m doing something good. Your post about community says it perfectly. Thanks!
64. geek+nerd | September 7th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Sigh. Great post. The double high five comment cracked me right up! I wish I could come up with something more poignant to say, but I’ve been non-stop unpacking my new apartment for the past five days, so I’m a little brain dead. But, you’re awesome, my mom and I have been buying things here and there from you for ages, and you’re right, no big box store could ever give me that connection. Cheers, lady!
65. Margie | September 7th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Things have a greater cost then we know. I always try to support creative folks/enterpreneur when ever possible. I want my children to have things that mean something, not just a pile of crap.
Have you seen the movie The Story of Stuff? (www.thestoryofstuff.com) It’s 20 min. and worth the time. High five!
66. Laura. | September 8th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
thanks for sharing these thoughts–i often dream of a cashless society, and i sometimes wonder what my goal is when i make something–and if i’m participation in the mass-production/consumption problem. but as a maker-by-hand, there is no way i will ever be able to REALLY produce anything on a massive level–and, in fact, i think as hand-makers we are helping to change the tide of production from mass into smaller, more personal, and (hopefully) better. so i think we are giving people an alternative to consuming mass-produced things by making those connections. people will always buy things to some extent, even the things we don’t ‘need’. making these things, and making our livelihoods by selling them is–and always will be–different than buying something cheaply made by a huge foreign company whose priority is profit, profit, profit. high five to you, sarah!
67. sharilyn | September 8th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Hi Sarah,
I (really should be) running around like a crazy lady right now, but I just caught this post from you and wanted to send you THE HUGEST HIGH FIVE ever!) I don’t even know where to start with this one, but in this matter we may just be sisters. Thank you for sharing, so much. xo sharilyn
ps you rock.
68. Jenna | September 8th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Just wanted to say that it is pretty awesome sharing birthdays with you via the “celebration candle!” Which was also really cool to purchase it directly from you at the Philly Art Star Bazaar in 2008.
And I must say this,
I don’t often get the chance to purchase handmade, so it was with double pleasure that I got to buy one of your candle holders. I walked through that Bazaar wanting to purchase something that would stay not only with me, but my family too….(with our budget I wanted to make an investment in something we could all share)
I feel so fortunate to have found that in meeting you and your handmade goodness.
Thank you!
69. Alek | September 9th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I came across your sight awhile back and I always enjoyed reading the stenopad for the fun crafts and recipes you share. I wanted to support you for the free and entertaining access I have to reading this so I bought a few items from your sight. I wanted to add that when I received the item in the mail, I received the high-five. I was immediately aware of the time and thought you put into forming the connection with your supporters. The care in packaging and the thank you card was not done in vain.
Thanks!
70. martha | September 10th, 2009 at 6:21 am
perfect.
high five sarah.
71. cimba | September 10th, 2009 at 9:38 am
This is heart-touching.
baci from italy
72. jules | September 10th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
thank you for articulating this so well. It’s definitely something that I struggle with, and I think that’s a very important part of the equation. The mere fact that you (and as evidenced in the comments here—a great many in the craft community) even stop to think about the part we play in consumerism/economy is huge. We all need to be thoughtful and measured in our spending decisions. Thanks again and keep contemplating!
73. posyp | September 11th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
When I hold something that was handmade, I can feel it. I swear that I can. It must be that connection that you write so beautifully about. I also love the idea of it being a gift, whether I am giving or receiving handmade items. It does always feel like a gift, even if money has been exchanged.
74. Claire | September 14th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Thank you so much for this post! I struggle with some of the same issues, being a maker of stuff as well. But your paragraph on the true cost of handmade really put it so eloquently! We are seeing so many knockoffs, and at shows people seem to think it’s okay to come up to you and say “I could make that. I’ll go home and make that.”
Thanks again! This post was very much like a nice cup of tea.
75. cate | September 16th, 2009 at 7:46 am
I didn’t miss the point of this post… I completely agree with your thoughts on this subject, and have thought them myself many times. But mostly I wanted to brag that once I did pay my dentist with a glass platter. It was his idea, and he even gave me the more expensive type of filling. How cool is that?
76. Grace | September 16th, 2009 at 11:58 am
I’ve never commented here before. I don’t know why. Goodness knows we’ve been on the same internets for a good 3 1/2 years or more. But I just had to say something this time. Actually, this is now my THIRD time to read this post. And so, I’m finally going to say it.
Thank you for writing this. For putting it out there. I am so weary of people’s attitudes about handmade being too expensive, always trying to source the cheapest version. Even good friends of mine do it. I mean, even I probably do it sometimes. But it’s exhausting and it ignores this entire community, contribution, and connection that you are talking about here.
I wish I could get everyone I know to read this post.
77. Calandra | September 18th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Wow! A well deserved high five to you. Thank you so much for writing this. It’s beautiful, homemade and creativity in themselves are priceless! And your connection is real. I enjoyed reading this. Thanks again for sharing…and you’re worth the investment.
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