National Craft Month & The Craft Congress

2008-03-18T13:34:00-05:00

Did you know March is National Craft Month in the US?

But hey, for Storque readers, when is it not Craft Month, anyway? Not to poo-poo this celebration at all: we should take the time to reflect on our collective project here: the indie craft movement. It's an opportunity to spread awareness about consumerism, and to think about how entrepreneurship and hands-on learning can improve people's lives. CHA (the Craft and Hobby Association) is spearheading the "National Craft Month" promotion, and you can find out more about events they're sponsoring and ways to get involved here.

The Craft Congress will be holding its second event in April in San Francisco. Matt went to the first one in Pittsburgh and talked with the crafting community about Etsy's mission to help indie artists and crafters make a living making things. You can read more about the upcoming event and the Craft Con in general here:

"Craft Con was born in 2007 as Craft Congress in Pittsburgh, PA . This launch event brought together more than fifty indie craft show organizers from across the US, Canada, as well as the UK, to share knowledge, skills and experiences. Topics ranged all the way from guerrilla marketing strategy to securing corporate sponsorship. Colleagues from across the world were able to meet face to face for the first time. Establishing a strong and supportive network for those who attended, the event also sparked crucial discussion about the future of the craft movement.
Read more about 2007:
New York Times
Washington City Paper
Craft Con 2008 heralds huge growth for the project. The event in San Francisco has been planned via the internet by crafters from all over the world. April’s conference will welcome participants from all areas of crafting, making a special effort to connect younger and upcoming crafters with the experience and savvy of their antecedents. Craft Con will facilitate much broader discussion and planning in key areas of concern for the movement, in particular the viability of sustainable business and enterprise and establishing the permanence of crafting in society."

Crafters can also intentionally take this month as an opportunity to teach a friend or loved one how to make something. There's nothing more empowering than experiencing the process of learning something new with one's hands.

Comment below and let us know what skill you can share!

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National Craft Month & The Craft Congress