Handmade

I am a great supporter of handmade products and considering that in my own work and activity I adopt those handmade approaches often referred to as traditional, how could I not be?
I am a great fan especially of those that provide a much more interesting and challenging alternative to mass produced items sold in the high street and by the big distribution giants. 
I personally see several reasons for it and of course they are all personal points of view, some are:

• I support local/small entrepeneurs hence helping in supporting local economies (i appreciate how naive this may sound to some people...), "local" in a broader sense
• I give my money to people that use their personal talent and creativity to give us something different, that breaks this mould of cliche and sameness imposed on us nearly everywhere (is not depressing to travel all over the world and see the same chain shop everywhere selling exactly the same item?)
• The individuality even though part of the same community
• It support ideas, thinking, culture, skills development and exchanges, creativity, communication within the community
• It gives us a choice: it is not "you can have any colour you want as long as it is black" and we can choose whom we want to buy from.

Of course as with everything it also a matter of finding the right balance as one side of this story must not or cannot exclude the other and there is a place and a role for both aspects of the economy. But we could carry on forever talking about this.

As you probably know in the past few months I have worked quite regularly with local art organisation Jelly and I was very pleased when I was asked about using some of my photos to illustrate an interview with its founder and director Suzanne Stallard. I can only recommend reading this inspirational interview and the rest of the magazine and the back issues, a great display of handmade talent and creativity. This and past issues of the magazines are here.

Finally I would like to invite you to join their campaign to buy Handmade, I did join.