As someone who has crafted most of my life, I am excited about this program and disappointed I didn’t know about it sooner. I hope I haven’t missed too much. If I could figure out a way to make crafting pay my bills, I would do it all day, everyday (I am working on it).
As a marketer, someone who studies consumer behaviors, buying patterns, etc and tries to help companies capitalize on it, I am fascinated with the return to our roots. Frankly, as a marketer, I have become cynical toward the consumer. We are a society of “consume”rs, a disposable society with what seems like a toss-it-away mentality. “Don’t worry, we can always replace it with something new.” Quality, craftsmanship, time and effort don’t seem to mean anything anymore or hold any value.
But this series proves me wrong, thankfully. There are many artisans who are bringing back dying arts, focusing on how things used to be made, appreciating the value of something that lasts, re-creating it or interpreting it in their own way. I LOVE IT. As a marketer, I would say to them, if there is something I can do to help you, please shoot me a line.
Christine Mantych 