Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category
What does handmade mean to you?
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
It’s a good question, and an important question.
Handmade means many things and means different things to each person.
One of the things I struggle most with the handmade community is quality. I’ve had a lot of people say to me that they don’t like handmade goods. They find that they fall apart or don’t function well. Just like with manufactured goods, you have to be a discerning buyer. The world of handmade goods has a huge spectrum of quality levels as well.
Handmade only has one regulation, which is that it is created by a person and not a machine. That regulation can be interpreted in many ways. Some handmade goods are produced by hand from start to finish. Some handmade goods are simply a collection of mass produced goods that have been assembled by hand.
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For me, handmade is synonymous with well made. I believe that if you are taking the time to make something with your hands, you should be making it well. It’s not about making it faster or cheaper. It’s about quality. If I didn’t believe that what I was making was of the highest quality, I wouldn’t be making it.
It’s also not just about a product. Handmade also means that there’s a direct connection to the creator. It’s amazing to be able to go to a craft show and talk to the person that made what you’ve just purchased or chat with them to discuss different options. There are few other situations between buyers and sellers in which this is possible. It’s exciting and makes that object have so much more importance.
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Whatever your definition of handmade may be, I hope that if nothing else, it makes you think about where your objects are coming from. What journey did they take before they got to you?
Now, I throw the question to you: What does handmade mean to you?
Quiet
Friday, April 2nd, 2010
Here’s the thing: I’ve always been a quiet person. I like calm in my house and rarely put on music when I’m working. I’m better at listening than chatting. I’m not the type of person to talk to myself. I don’t write much. I’m better at lists and drawing.
So, it’s always seemed a bit weird to me to have a blog. Why talk to the internet and the random people out there? Who cares?
Well, I think this blog has been a lot of things during it’s lifetime. In the beginning I wanted to be an active blogger. I wanted a voice. I wanted to be a part of the blogging community.
Now, not so much. I often found myself blogging about irrelevant things just because I hadn’t blogged in a long span of time. That is silly.
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This blog has become a link between me and the world. Now that I am actively selling my work, I find myself coming here more and more to talk about both my work and myself.
When you buy something that is handmade, you aren’t just buying an object. You’re buying a story. You’re buying something often very close to the creator’s heart.
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I might not post on this blog very often, but my hope is that it allows anyone looking at my work to understand a little more about where the book came from. If you know a little bit more about me, maybe you’ll know a little bit more about my books.
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Upon a fold
Thursday, March 25th, 2010
I came across this blog/shop the other day:
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It’s a beautiful collection of amazing things, all of them paper.
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Here’s a little shot of her site:
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Lovely!
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Quick Update
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
Hello friends!
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Just wanted to let everyone know what I’ve updated my About page.
It’s now less cluttered, and much happier.
There are now separate sub pages for my sponsors and my 2010 show schedule,
complete will image buttons.
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Stay out of the rain and enjoy your Tuesday!
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The Why.
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
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For a long time, I’ve been thinking about how personal or private I want this blog to be. I always want it to be relevant to my work and to my business, but I also want people to understand why I make my books. Since my work is such a huge part of my life, I do want to explain.
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Somethings about me: I’ve always been an all or nothing type of person. Either you care, or you don’t. Either yes or no. I’ve always believed in putting in effort, first and foremost. This has put me in some difficult places from time to time, but I’ve always stood by my decisions and beliefs. This trait has applied greatly to my work ethic. For me, when I’m at work, I’m working. I’ve had numerous jobs, from making coffee at Starbucks to curating at my favorite museum. I don’t think I’ve ever been satisfied working for someone else though. As great as it feels to have a steady paycheck, I always felt something was missing.
When I decided to start my own business, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I guess the business part was what scared me the most. I knew I could make my books. That wasn’t a problem. It was the part of the business where I had to sell and promote my work that has been the hardest. I’m not a salesperson, and honestly, I hate pushy sellers. Perhaps this will lose me a sale here and there, but I’d rather let people enjoy my work. I’d rather that people find something special in my books, and not something forced upon them. That being said, it’s been quite a ride learning how to talk about my work without forcing it upon a potential customer.
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So, why do I make these books?
I make them in the hope of spreading creativity. I want people to have something that allows them an outlet for thoughts. I also could never find something mass produced that was beautiful and had the type of paper that could hold up to the artists’ many different mediums and constant use.
A sketchbook can be whatever you need it to be. For an artist, it’s a way to let ideas develop, change, and expand. It’s an outlet for the hundreds of thoughts floating around inside your head. Personally, I find it helpful to jot down notes, lists, ideas, sketches, and anything else I might be thinking of. There’s nothing better than looking through a sketchbook weeks or years later, to find a great idea that you completely forgot about.
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One of the most rewarding aspects of this businesses has been discovering what has been drawn or written in my books. It’s so nice to see what I’ve helped be a part of. I’m loving where To Boldly Fold is going and where it may go in the future.
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Handmade News
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
Dear friends,
Today I am the featured artist on Handmade News,
a blog about handmade art and the artists that create them.
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Please go here and vote for my article!
If I get over 23 votes, I get on the front page!
Just click on the green thumbs up right above the comments section.
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Thanks!