Handmadeology is the creation of Timothy Adam, a self taught artist who is creating a website to teach others how to sell their handmade products online. The launch of this highly anticipated website is scheduled for January 26, 2009. Whether you sell your handmade products on websites like Etsy or Art Fire, or you’re just thinking about getting into the handmade movement, there is something for everyone.
Now here is where I start to get giddy as my two professions in planning and art collide! Timothy Adam and a growing number of other entrepreneurs are fueling the fire of a global economic transition. Handemadeology is at the heart of what Rick Symre,
Communities of the Future, refers to when he says that “the world is in a global transformation as a network of people and organizations work in collaboration to develop new concepts of governance, economic development, leadership, and education/learning as a response to a fast-paced, interconnected, and increasingly complex world.”
OK, so that’s deep –well this is where it hits home for me! In the last ten years, the town I work in (pop. 7,000) has lost 3,000 jobs in textile and furniture manufacturing. Many of the workers were 3rd to 6th generation in their family that worked at the same industry. Their knowledge and talent in textiles and furniture manufacturing isn’t something that should be lost because the plant closed its doors. Instead they can learn to merge their talents with new entrepeurnerial skills to give them the opportunity to become more self-sufficient and economically successful in the changing economy. That is where Handemadeology and other similar resources offer a network for folks to rebuild themselves and achieve success while the rest of the world ponders how to dig themselves out of their economic woes.
I have already learned a lot from Timothy Adam, and I look forward to learning a lot more on
Handmadeology. I am promoting the science of handmade in my community. I hope you will do the same. It may just be the beacon of hope that someone needs to turn their life around. Thank you to Timothy Adam for his hard work and sharing what he knows on the Science of Handmade.
The McDowell Arts Council is hosting it's first arts & crafts festival on Saturday, May 16th, 2009 in historic downtown Marion. The fun begins at 10:00a.m and ends at 5:00p.m. The festival will include arts, crafts, street performances, live music and much more. The event is being held to support the McDowell Arts Council, it's programs, and promote a new public art project involving honey bees called "It's All the Buzz". To download a vendor/entertainer packet or for more information go to:
