Samples of indie craft work on display at CHA.

I had the good fortune last week to attend CHA – the Craft & Hobby Association’s annual trade show. It’s a giant event, with over 600 manufacturers, distributors, publishers and others showing off their crafty wares.

Periodically, CHA attempts to inform its members about emerging markets in crafting. This year, the emerging market in question was “Indie Crafters.” I found a Market Trend Report about Indie Crafters at the show, and learned that, while CHA may know we’re here, they still have much to learn about us.

You can read the read the full text of this report online, but be warned – unfortunately, it’s filled with misconceptions and outright errors. (And for the record, it was authored by a firm called Craft Marketing Connections, or CMC.) 

When I posted about this report on my blog, I had lots of upset comments from indie crafters. I understand this reaction – heck, I was upset about the report at first, too. Then I realized that getting mad just isn’t productive.

So instead, I’d like to talk about the bits that CMC got right, and look at how we might use these glimmers of real understanding to forge better connections with the craft industry as a whole. 

You may be asking, “Why would we indies want to be better connected with the craft industry, anyway?” Well, because even as independents, we are part of it. If you use glue, if you need needles, or if you buy paints, then you are connected to the industry. We need the companies that make our tools and supplies as much as they need us.

 So let’s see what they do understand about us…

Ed Roth, author of Stencil 101, hosts a demo in the Indie Craft booth at CHA.

We Love Our Web

While the report gets a lot of things wrong (equating us with the “hippie generation of the 1960’s and 1970’s,” for instance),
it does grasp the importance of the internet in our culture. Here’s an excerpt:

“The movement has not only created online sales, but also conversation and blogging between Indie Crafters. The interest in journaling and blogging has created websites dedicated to self-expression. The popular “My Space” is also an outlet for these crafters to showcase their work and network with others.”

This is good – well, maybe except for the MySpace reference. We indie crafters are such a diverse lot, it’s no wonder the industry has a hard time understanding who we are. We range in age from our teens to our sixties. We use paper and fabric and beads and every other kind or material. But the one thing we do all have in common is that we’re using the web to stay engaged with each other. We sell online, we communicate online, we share and inspire each other online.

The craft industry may acknowledge this fact, but they have not yet grasped how powerful it is. If you picture all the interconnections that exist between us through blogs, forums, and social networking systems, then you can see the mind-blowing speed with which we can share information. If we like a craft product, we can post about it. And our genuine personal recommendation will reach thousands of people in a matter of hours, potentially creating more buzz than any magazine ad could ever hope to do. We routinely share craft projects and designs that are far fresher than anything we see in our local big-box retail stores, and these innovative ideas inspire others to go out and get the supplies to try them at home. 

(This is not to say that we’re an easy target for marketing. It simply means that we wield a lot of influence over each other’s purchasing decisions. So it might behoove the industry to tune in to what kinds of products we want, and how we’d like to see them made.)

Just Ask Us

Sidebar idea about the internet: it makes us pretty darn easy to reach. If I want to meet another crafter, I can post a comment on his or her blog, or locate an email address to send a more personal greeting. If craft companies want to better understand the indie community, they can easily take advantage of this accessibility. And as long as they don’t approach us with ham-handed marketing pitches, we’re ready and willing to share our opinions and ideas on craft. 

(This communication street runs both ways – if you have thoughts on the kinds of tools that would make your crafting life easier, or you want to comment on deeper subjects like unfair labor practices or product toxicity, all you need is the “Contact Us” page of your favorite company’s website to start the conversation.)

We’re Here To Stay

Another idea the CMC report gets right is in the longevity of our community:

“[Indie Craft] isn’t thought to be a fad. With the growing “green” trend in America and throughout the world, it is said to be just the beginning of the movement. The influence of various ethnicities and the need to express creativity through self-expression will continue to grow this market. As society becomes more aware of its origins and the need to preserve our environment, the idea of repurposing could explode in popularity.”

…Although I don’t agree with that rather fuzzy take on why we’ll be around for a while, I’m glad CMC sees that the indie craft movement is here to stay.  I think we have staying power simply because indie craft fosters both individuality and community. We’re not much for buying prefab craft kits and replicating other people’s designs, but we’re all about putting our own spin on the things we wear and use – empowering ourselves through creativity. And, for the first time in the history of crafting, we can easily connect with others all over the world who share our passions. This is also powerful – and you can bet that none of us will walk away from those connections the way we’d walk away from a tired trend.

So we’ll be around for a while. And so will the craft industry. We indie crafters are a forward-thinking, nimble group, and the craft industry, coping with a rapidly-changing economy, needs a dose of our energy. I think there’s a lot of potential for both sides if we can get along.