From our Corner | October Musings
A life + studio update.
Wow, October — you’ve been a breath of fresh autumn air! Frost on the car in the mornings, that crisp bite in the air balanced by the lingering warmth of the sun. This time of year really is the best.
Life has finally slowed down a bit, allowing space for puzzles in the morning, basement renovations in the evening, studio time during the day, and community events and get-togethers through my day job. For me, that’s the ideal rhythm — building something with my hands, spending time with my community, and penciling in quiet moments of rest.
A few weeks ago, we traveled to Bozeman for the Montana Made Art Fair, the first market to kick off the flurry of winter shows. Being surrounded by other makers and artists is always humbling, inspiring, and thought-provoking all at once. The level of craftsmanship in those spaces is astounding — a beautiful contrast to the mass-produced items flooding online marketplaces like Temu and Amazon (or, honestly, any Google search these days).
Lately, with the talk of government shutdowns, economic uncertainty, and my lowest online sales in some time, I’ve been reflecting on where handmade work fits in. How do small makers — those of us who build, stitch, and craft — find our place among the big-box, low-cost options of the world? When people are worried about affording flights to see family, buying new clothes for the kids, or simply paying rent and buying groceries, handmade jewelry, art, and leather goods understandably fall lower on the list. Still, I believe in the lasting value of a well-made item — something that becomes part of a person’s life for years, not just a fleeting moment. Pieces that stay out of landfills and stand the test of time are, in the long run, both meaningful and cost-effective. Yet I also recognize that not everyone moves through the purchasing process with that same mindset, and that’s okay too.
All food for thought. For now, I’ll keep doing what I love — making leather pieces, hand-stitching my way through another audiobook, and finding joy in the slow, intentional work that I do have control over.
Life of a maker,
Sarah