Making Revolution

Something’s stirring out there: it’s the rise of the Makers.  London’s Victoria & Albert museum apparently recorded the highest ever number of visitors to a free exhibition  - some 320,000 - for its Power of Making joint exhibition with the Crafts Council, according to the Independent.  Yet the real power lies with the people who are making it happen for the makers - quietly giving advice, promoting confidence, encouraging professionalism, and encouraging more people to open up their secret creativeness. 

I’ve just finished Pete Mosley’s book ‘Making your creativity pay’:  there’s so much of ‘me’ in there!  He’s well in tune with every facet of the human condition, from our self-doubt to our procrastination, and yet gently and realistically encourages his readers to get on with it and give it a go.  Recommended reading for anyone thinking of changing their life path to something more creative.  I think he’s involved in the Makers’ Symposium at the National Centre for Craft & Design at the end of April.  Alas I can’t get there but those who do should find it enlightening. 

Making it easy to try new crafts are the people at All Craft Media, who had their first open-day for readers of their various magazines at their new offices today.  Some of their titles are aimed at beginners in different hand-crafts, others at the more experienced.  But having been invited to be part of their first open-day, able to meet and question their editors in person, you get the impression that their passion for what they do is backed by realism, humility, humour, and even a little shyness. In coming out of their editorial shells to meet us face to face, they were completely open and desiring of constructive feedback to make their titles better serve us readers.  If you’re thinking of going on one of their future open days, you’ll be refreshed by their personal sincerity. 

Someone else who’s putting their all in on my behalf and that of others is friend and indie dyer Clare (Boo’s Attic on Ravelry and Etsy), who’s holding one of  her colourful yarn-dyeing workshops this weekend.  I’m looking forward to learning something new and experimenting with different ways to combine colour and pattern on a skein, albeit of somewhat smaller gauge yarn than I'm used to! 

As human resources professional know, a lack of ‘learning new things’ is one of the top three reasons why people leave their jobs.  Here’s wishing you a week full of new and inspiring experiences, and support that empowers you to get your tasks done with joy.  Power to The Makers!