Giving Thanks

As participants in the artisan movement, those of us keeping up with the ebb and flow of the commerce of handmade have many things to be thankful for this year.

We are grateful to all the artists who use their amazing talents and unending creatively to share with us their body of work. Without them there would be no handmade goods and our lives would certainly be less without them.

Despite all the grousing, we are thankful for the handmade venues that allow artists worldwide to bring their work to market online. While there is always room for improvement, without these outlets many artisans would be without a viable way to present their work, find a market for it, and supplement their incomes. Buyers would have a more difficult time finding handmade work as well. So many thanks to etsy, artfire, zibbet, craftisart, and all the other venues for their vision that helped get handmade to where it is today, and for providing the gateways that make it easier to buy and sell handmade goods.

Thanks to all the writers, bloggers, and supporters across the internet who tirelessly promote artisan goods and help the world of handmade gain a wider audience. Their mostly volunteer efforts are indispensable to both buyers and artisans as they continuously scan the internet in search of the work we all love to admire and own. My personal thanks to all the columnists here, and especially to Erika who works hard all year to present the best and brightest of artisan work to us here on tryhandmade.

Most of all, we’re thankful for those who make it a practice to find and purchase artisan goods, even if they are a bit more expensive or harder to find. Your support provides income and encouragement to the artisan community, and without it there would be no handmade movement. So thank you, and have a wonderful holiday.