How many times have you heard the phrase “They don’t make it like they used to.”
Unfortunately we live in a disposable world. Furniture, computers, phones, just about everything is meant to be thrown away. Take a look around your house. Most of what fills our space is probably cheap disposable junk. But take a closer look and I bet there are some timeless, priceless, pieces of furniture that have been handed down from generations. And I bet these pieces of furniture or other goods would not end up in the “pitch it” pile during spring cleaning.
Why?
I have one guess, and it is because whatever it is wasn’t made like we are used to. There was a time when people were craftsmen. A blacksmith forged metal in a blistering hot blacksmiths shop. A carpenter used old growth, true dimensional lumber to frame walls. The cobbler fashioned shoes. And the list can go on and on, but one thing all of these craftsmen share is they were master’s at their craft.
Before machinery started taking over jobs and furniture was mass produced the craftsmen spent hundreds of hours learning and honing their craft. There was a passion and a sense of pride to create something of high quality that would last.
I’m sure craftsmen of centuries past couldn’t imagine that we would rummage through antique and vintage shops seeking out their work. As a growing craftsmen myself, I know the sense of pride that comes from creating something with your own hands and learning versatile skills. I am learning something that isn’t being taught any more. What I build isn’t mass produced and can’t be found in a big box store. Even if I build the same thing it is slightly different because it is built with hands and not robots. I hope one day the lamps I build or the furniture I build will be sought after as people rummage through antique and vintage stores.
With the Young Makers Guild, I hope to inspire young craftsmen and women to learn a skill and learn how to work with their hands and minds. Technology can grow but we will still need creatives to imagine and build things, learn a craft or trade. Instead of building mass produced junk we can learn about sustainability and build quality, timeless pieces of art. Making, whether it is blacksmithing, woodworking, or sewing all requires the mind to build problem solving creative thinking skills.
I hope I can create what I have envisioned in my head for the Young Makers Guild. There are a ton of big ideas, and I would love to hear any of your ideas or see what you have built. For more updates as the Young Makers Guild gets built out sign up for our newsletter here.