The Value Of “Handmade”
Thoughts From Artisans on Why Handmade Matters
In this post written on behalf of Artisans Cooperative, we continue to explore why “handmade” matters in support of our innovative Handmade Policy.
We’ll say it: Handmade items are Art. And whether they’re functional items (“applied arts”) or decorative (“fine art”), art touches us more profoundly and deeply than most other things. In this post, we’ll explore why that is in interviews with artisans and supporters. There are three main themes that are woven through these interviews: the human-to-human connection, the satisfaction of owning original work, and the pride that comes with ethical purchases that support artists and makers.
The Human Connection: From Hands to Hands
There’s a romantic saying about a home cook sprinkling a little love into each dish they create, and we believe handmade objects contain a little bit of the spirit of that artisan who actually made that thing with their hands.
This may sound figurative, but in some ways, it is quite literal: when something is made by hands, the dimensions are often driven by the…
