RandomBliss: Take the Handmade Pledge!

First snow, which was late and is already gone.
(Japanese Maple leaves, front yard.)

Listening to: New British pop, totally 80's inspired. Woot!

Bliss: A new kitten who is already so into cuddling that she kept me in bed way too late this morning! Finding old friends on Facebook.

I've written before about the revolutionary beauty of the Internet in terms of the positive economic impact on artists and crafts people. Imagine that only twenty years ago, it was thought that to be an "artist" you had to live in New York City. Same for being a writer. To survive making and selling your craft, it was said, you better move to a large city. And you better try to get an arts agent. And if you're lucky, you could sell your ideas to a large merchandiser.

Because GOOD LUCK trying to do it on your own.

Well, no more.

Now there is the Internet: A global marketplace that creates localized economies.

Now you could live in the woods and sell paintings all over the world.

You could make jewelry in a cottage on the beach and get orders from India.

You can live in Anywhere USA or Anywhere World and your potential clientele is literally limitless. Of course, competition is fierce, but we are no longer living in a "Scarcity" mentality as artists; we are into abundance land.

As fellow artists, most importantly, we can support each other, and what better time to do this than the holidays?

You need gifts for family members and friends and colleagues, and instead of running to some generic mall and getting people things they never need, why not buy them something made with care and love? At the same time, you are spreading the word for that particular artist, which is the equivalent of spreading the word for all artists.

So this year, my partner (an artist who takes commissions) and I are taking the Handmade Pledge. All our gifts (besides a few books) will be handmade. Will you take the pledge, too?