The Meaning of Handmade

Renée in the midst of messy creativity

As someone who has enjoyed a lifetime of creativity, I try not to take one fact for granted. The word handmade has different meanings for different people.

For some, handmade means to create something completely from scratch, from only raw materials, with no element that was obtained pre-formed by other individuals or entities. For others, it means "I gathered materials (some purchased, some I made) to use in projects to create something original". Since I'm not over here chopping down trees, cooking up compounds, or mining minerals to alchemize into stuff for projects, I fall into this group. My use of salvaged and recycled materials would also place me firmly in this realm.

Still others take kits or components in a sort of paint-by-numbers scenario (NO judgements) and execute what could be called assembly, or finishing.

Then we have AI joining the chat, but that's a topic for another time.

To many, all of the above are different degrees of handmade. To me, there is room for all. My only caveat is transparency. I feel that however individuals or entities opt to create, there should be transparency. As in one degree of handmade should not be put forth as another.

Though most of my work is the same degree of handmade, in the instances where I employ any type of pre-formed material or object, I'm transparent about that, either in the description of the finished work, or in response to inquiries about the work.

So rest assured, when the price and placement of an item reflects the level of handmade that usually goes into my work, it is indeed hewn from these two hands with all the care and detail that calls for. With some curiosity, imagination, and brainstorming thrown in for good measure.

Here's to handmade!