Re:Make Conference: What is the Maker Movement?

“If you thought the internet was big, this is going to be bigger.”
–Mark Hatch, TechShop CEO on the Maker Movement

Brit + Co’s Re:Make event in San Francisco was all about the Maker Movement with a conference on Day 1 and community festival on Day 2.

Certain themes recurred throughout the day – storytelling, craftsmanship, being true to your style, creativity. I got to discuss it all over a lunch with speakers and other Brit + Co contributors, definitely a highlight!

Who is a maker?

“The maker movement is the next revolution in society. Welcome to the Revolution.”
–Mark Hatch, super quotable speaker

A maker is simply someone who enjoys making stuff, whether it’s food or furniture, rugs or robots, strawberry cocktails or Storm Trooper costumes. Yep. In fact, “Most Star Wars fans are makers,” according to Mashable Editor and How Star Wars Conquered the Universe author Chris Taylor. (We came to the same conclusion about the Comicon community.)

Makers may use traditional techniques (hand embroidery) or modern tech (3D printing) or some combination (the fan-built, Arduino-controlled R2D2, who accompanied Chris during his talk).

More and more people are are choosing the DIY route, and it’s starting to affect both culture and commerce. This is the Maker Movement.

Some call it a Revolution.

Express Yourself

Brit + Co put together a report on the Maker Movement. Their survey found that 8 out of 10 adults fit their definition of maker. During her opening keynote, Founder Brit Morin said that, while the Movement “skews female,” women don’t always see themselves as part of it. Instead, they think of it as something “male and techie.”

Women also tend to devalue their own skills and creativity. I see this at my CraftHack group all the time. Women will be working on these awesome projects but a lot of times just shrug them off.

I believe that everyone is creative. But, as adults (especially as women), we’re often afraid to express ourselves. Making something – however imperfect – helps us tap into the fearless self-expression we had as children. Practicing creativity opens the door to more creativity.

Makers Gonna (Re)Make

There were plenty of opportunities to be creative and make stuff at Re:Make. As soon as you walked in, you could take part in a giant collaborative paint-by-number (with paint from sponsor Lowe’s, of course!). We took Make Breaks for crafting cork vases and decorating cupcakes. The second day there were DIY stations scattered throughout the festival.

More conferences should include DIY projects! They’re great icebreakers and a great rest from information overload.

What made the Maker Movement happen now?

1. New ways to learn

Brit also noted that makers tend to be early adopters of technology. However, “only 17% are using tech for making.” Instead, they’re using it to learn how to make things by hand, find inspiration, share ideas, watch tutorials. “The Maker Movement is not just tech, it’s about traditional arts and crafts resurrecting in society.”

Mark Hatch observed that “we live in an era where you can pick up the skills to do almost anything in 90 days.”

The Michaels spokesperson echoed this later in the day. Their customers used to have deep knowledge of one craft. Now they usually have a broader range of skills, because it’s so much easier to learn via online platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest. Information has become more accessible.

2. Conscientious consumers

“The maker movement is booming and retailers don’t even know it.”
–Bradford Shellhammer, Fab.com Founder and BackCountry.com CDO

As more consumers become makers, more people have started to care about how products are made and who made them. Makers are on both sides of the supply and demand equation, selling items they’ve made and purchasing artisan goods from others.

Jaime Derringer, Founder and Editor of Design Milk, noted, “The economy played a role in where we are. People started making things and taught themselves to run businesses.” Maybe they had more time because of a layoff. Maybe they wanted to save money and/or earn a little extra income.

In addition, the recession made us think a little harder about what we were buying and why. Did we really need mass quantities of cheap, disposable goods? Or could we get by with fewer, higher quality things made in more sustainable ways?

“Groupon trained consumers to look for discounts. That era is ending. Now there are more conscientious consumers.” AHAlife CEO Shauna Mei explained. “People care about stories, heritage, and who made the product.”

Steven Heintz, CTO of Quirky agreed. “People are bored with mass-produced products. They’re looking for something unique.”

Shake It Up

If all that info makes you feel like you could use a stiff drink, you’ll understand why the conference wrapped up with a cocktail party.

It was the kind of day with more awesomeness than your brain can contain and no way to chat with everyone you’d like to. I wish I could have a few Groundhog-Day-style do-overs, just to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

I was honored to be a part of Re:Make and so appreciate Brit + Co and Lowe’s bringing me out!

In the words of the Urbio spokesperson (whose name I didn’t catch):

“If you’re passionate about something, you have more tools now than ever to make it a reality. Go out and make something!”

October 9, 2014November 9, 2014

Re:Make Festival: A celebration of making

So what is the deal with this Re:Make thing I keep mentioning?

Re:Make is Brit + Co’s two-day maker event held a couple times a year. Day 1 is an invitation-only conference with awesome speakers and demos by startups. Day 2 is a festival open to the public with tons of handmade products and DIY project stations.

I was able to attend September’s Re:Make in San Francisco, largely due to a Brit + Co contributor travel stipend from Lowe’s (also a conference sponsor).

Even though the festival day happened after the conference day, I’m going to start on Day 2 at the festival.

The Living Room of the Future

With all the fabulous festival happenings, you know what I did first? Hunt for an outlet to charge my almost-dead phone. I figured my best bet would be the The Living Room of the Future. (Feel free to read that in a deep, echoing voice like “The Living Room-oom-oom! of the Future-uture-uture!”)

The Living Room of the Future was a whole room constructed just for the weekend to demonstrate Lowe’s IRIS line of smart home products. It had sturdy walls (holding artwork and a pretty massive monitor), a full set of furniture, a door, and (thankfully!) working outlets.

One of the Lowe’s reps moved a plug down to make room for my charger. Turns out it wasn’t just any plug, it was a smart plug. (Did you know plugs could be smart?!) It’s basically the updated version of those timers you plug your lights into when you go out of town. Except it you can control it from your phone. The only “installation” required is plugging it in to an outlet. That piqued my interest, because we rent our place, so we can’t get too crazy in the home improvement department.

Since I was hanging out waiting for my phone anyway, I asked what else they had that would work in a rental. Turns out most of their stuff would. There are sensors that can text you if there’s motion in your house or just if someone opens the door. (Of course, I had travel on the brain, but it’d be nice if you’re at work all day too.)

I didn’t notice it when I walked in, but the door to The Living Room of the Future (Door to the Future?!) had one of those cool keypad doorknobs. The house where I Airbnb’ed in July had one too. So. handy. Think about not having to coordinate a key handoff for houseguests/pet sitters/a friend stopping by while you’re stuck in traffic/etc.

In case you’re wondering, yes, Lowe’s bought my plane ticket. But I did not expect to get this excited about a smart home system. I’m really not into tech for the sake of tech, but if it makes my life better, I’m in. And their stuff turned out to be pretty neat.

Walking through Pinterest boards

Once I got my phone charged up, I needed a recharge too. I headed over to get some handpoured goodness from the Philz Coffee crew, who had become my BFFs during the conference.

From there, the hall opened up. There was a booth with Luna Bar samples in apothecary jars (Because this was Re:Make. And even the granola bars needed to be cute.), a mini version Brit + Co’s community maker space MakeShop with Brit Kits and 3D printers, a Michael’s “Raw Bar” with projects inspired by the same raw-look trend as our cork vase Make Break the day before, and handmade cornhole games in progress (Can someone explain to me why cornhole is suddenly everywhere?)

There were also lots of photo booth backdrops (also very Brit + Co) for selfies. I snapped a quick one in front of a Lowe’s backdrop, and then someone asked me a question, and I got totally sidetracked and forgot to take a better one.

Sprinkled throughout the hall were DIY stations where you could do things like paint your own tote, make a Lego house, or decorate a Lowe’s paint cans to hold your purchases.

100 vendors were there with handmade and artisan products – messenger bags, ceramics, jewelry, cards, soaps. I basically wanted to buy everything. Combined with all the DIYing going on, it really kind of felt like my Pinterest boards had come to life. Seriously. You can check out the merch in the B+C Shop.

An impressive 4,000 people made their way to the festival by the end of the day. It was overwhelming but so amazing!

I’ll fill you in on the first day of Re:Make (the conference day) next week! In the meantime, check out my Make Break post or Instagrams from the trip.

September 23, 2014September 24, 2014

Short visit sightseeing: One day in Seattle

There’s a lot to see and do in Seattle. But if you don’t have much time, it’s actually a great place for a short trip too. Many of the main attractions are close together, so it’s easy to see the sights (and then move on if you want to see more local spots).

On a recent, all-too-short trip to Seattle, I set out to see some of the city’s highlights in one day.

Originally, we had planned to spend most of the day downtown. I won’t bore you with the details, but things came up, plans shifted, schedules changed, and that didn’t happen. But it was still a fabulous day in Seattle.

Tip one: Have a plan…and be ready for it to change.

If you want to see as much as you can in a short amount of time, you don’t want to leave it totally to chance. Having a plan as a starting point will also help when things inevitably change.

Morning: Fremont

Coffee is a great way to start a day in Seattle. Okay, coffee is a great way to start the day anywhere. Seattle does have an exceptional range of options, though, including dozens of independent shops and locally-based chains.

I met a friend at Milstead & Co., which shares outdoor seating with History House of Greater Seattle, a museum of Seattle’s neighborhoods and sculpture garden. It’s located in the Fremont neighborhood, which is known for its Sunday market, public art (including the eponymous Troll), and supposed position at the center of the universe.

Tip two: Think geographically. Group sightseeing by neighborhood. Remember to allow for transit time and traffic.

Midday: International District

Midday, we headed downtown. I needed to stop by the Visit Seattle office to pick up my press kit and CityPasses. That placed us conveniently near the International District (a.k.a. Seattle’s Chinatown) at lunch time.

The International District has tons of great food options. My brother and sister-in-law wanted to introduce me to dim sum, so we went to their favorite place, Jade Garden. As far as I can tell, the better the dim sum, the worse the parking. It works out, though. What goes down is that cart after cart filled with steaming hot, hard-to-turn-down dumplings and assorted goodies wheels up to your table, you try lots of delicious things that you may or may not be able to identify, pay the bill, and waddle out. At this point, you probably realize a longer walk to your parking spot is a good idea.

You can grab some boba tea before heading to your next stop. While you’re in the neighborhood, look for dragons climbing telephone poles, the Chinatown Gate, and a giant chessboard in Hing Hay Park.

Tip three: Make food and beverages part of your experience of a place, rather than an afterthought.

Afternoon: Seattle Center

Seattle Center is home to a number of attractions, fountains, gardens — and free wifi!

Space Needle

The iconic Space Needle is obviously a super popular destination. Fortunately, whoever’s in charge there is pretty efficient. There are separate lines for people purchasing tickets, with general admission, with a scheduled a time to go up, and for CityPass holders.

The CityPass really does save a lot of time, so, even if your trip is too short to see all the sights, it may be worth it for the quicker access.

Even the elevator ride is maximized, with the operator spouting facts about the Space Needle on the ride up. I was concerned it might be a bit nerve wracking to watch out the windows as we ascended, but it wasn’t. It takes about 45 seconds to get to the top, and it feels a bit like you’re just slowly floating up there.

You step out of the elevator into a room that wraps around the building. There is a huge interactive display that a crowd of people could check out at once (the “Skypad”), souvenirs for sale, and a restaurant with wine specials. I’m thinking the next time I’ll plan to just go up, find a table next to the window, and sip on merlot. We even noticed a few outlets in case you drain your phone taking photos.

Outside is the observation deck with viewing telescopes and a few benches. You can walk around the whole building and see for miles – Puget Sound, the downtown skyscrapers, the roofs of museums, a swimming pool or two, and far off residential neighborhoods. There was a nice breeze at the top. Despite the fact that it was a busy day, it wasn’t hard to find spots next to the rail to look off in the distance, and it actually felt peaceful up there.

At the bottom of the Space Needle is a large gift shop inside and the Chihuly Garden outside.

Pacific Science Center

We, unfortunately, ran out of time for the espionage exhibit at Pacific Science Center, but we did have a look around. There were animatronic dinosaurs and models of the solar system and even small animals in aquariums (including axolotls, the salamander-like object of the narrator’s obsession in Julio Cortázar’s short story. I’d wanted to see one since reading it in a Spanish lit class.) We visited the Tropical Butterfly House and smiled that this large butterfly had attached itself to one man’s pant leg and was apparently never leaving. My two-year-old niece and 10-month-old nephew enjoyed playing in the water at the stream table. Everyone with the museum was super nice and helpful.

Also near Seattle Center/Waterfront

Evening: West Seattle

We walked through the lovely Seacrest Park at sunset and took in the view of downtown and with a minature Space Needle across the water. For a longer walk, Alki Beach is nearby.

We went to the fusion restaurant Marination Ma Kai, which got its start as a food truck and now boasts several locations around Seattle. The day we were there it was packed with uniformed high school band kids for some reason. There must have been an event or competition that day. Anyway, they provided some free entertainment while we waited in line.

Tip four: Savor the moment. Whether you’re ascending a tower or simply watching ripples across the water, do your best to enjoy the view.

Alternate plans:

Pike Place Market is near Seattle Center, and you could start there instead of Fremont. Go early for fresh produce and fish or later for retailers, bars, and buskers.
Some people with a tight schedule skip the top of the Space Needle for more time in museums or seeing other sights.
If you’re not interested in the big attractions, you could also spend less of your day downtown and more at local hangouts.
Check out Visit Seattle’s one-day itinerary and day trip list for other alternatives.

Bringing a Bit of Seattle to You

If you can’t head to Seattle just yet (or if you want to keep your trip fresh in your mind), here are a few ideas to make the Emerald City feel a little closer:

Fresh From Seattle: Recipes from the City’s Best Chefs – A taste of Seattle in your own home. (Ebook. Free.)
Space Needle live feed – The view from the top. (Webcam city view. Hint: If the picture is blurry, it’s probably raining.)
Four Windows: Seattle – A brand new project that features 4 Seattle-inspired novels delivered in fun-sized portions. (Ebook. Free first issue.)

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A big thank you to Visit Seattle for providing information and CityPasses and to Ian Smith and Christine Smith of Four Windows, who acted as my city guides and assisted with this series of Seattle posts! Congrats on the launch of Four Windows Books!

September 20, 2014May 18, 2018

Fremont public art

Gotta love public art! Here are 3 fascinating pieces in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle!

1. Underneath the Aurora Bridge is the Fremont Troll. Made of reinforced concrete, wire, and a VW bug, it’s large enough for several people to climb on at once. The troll has inspired several annual events and is often decorated with chalk art.

2. The Interurban Sculpture depicts several people waiting at a bus stop, along with a dog with a human face (said to be the likeness of either a particularly beloved or hated public figure, depending on who you talk to). It is regularly decorated, dressed up, and/or yarn bombed. Community members are welcome — encouraged, actually — to adorn the statue as they choose for a week, as long as they are not displaying commercial messages.

3. So this conversation actually happened:

“Do you want to see the statue of Lenin?”

“Lennon? Like John Lennon?”

“No. Like Marx and Lenin.”

“What?!”

Yep. Imagine all the people who could be depicted in statue form in a Seattle neighborhood, and I bet you wouldn’t have guessed the Russian communist leader either. The statue was originally installed in Slovakia, toppled during the 1989 revolution, and currently stands on a street corner in Fremont. I don’t think the community is trying to promote his ideals. As I understand it, it’s about great craft extending beyond ideology. All they are saying is “give art a chance.”

Fremont prides itself on its quirkiness. And with a giant Volkswagen-eating troll under a bridge, a statue that residents dress, and one of a Russian revolutionary, I don’t think it’s in danger of losing that distinction.

With a little research help from my friends Ian Smith and Christine Smith of Four Windows.

September 16, 2014September 30, 2014

San Francisco Sneak Peek

I’m typing this at SFO waiting to board a plane back to Phoenix.

I was one of six Brit + Co contributors chosen to go out to San Francisco and cover their Re:Make conference. Of course, I did a little San Francisco exploring while I was out there, as well. It was a great trip and an inspiring conference, and I’m excited to tell you more about it!

But while I get that all together (I wish I could do nothing but write for a week straight!), here are some photos to tide you over.

More to come!