What does it mean to be a “maker”?

Humans are by nature “makers”, we have been evolving for eons by indulging our curiosity and finding more and better ways to get things done. Early humans figured out how to harness fire and then to use that fire to cook, make tools, hunt with those tools, thus becoming better fed thus freeing up time to discover how to make stone tools and then metal to make better more efficient tools, thus freeing up even more time to continue the process over and over until we now find ourselves in a society that is so free from the acts of daily survival that were the norm a mere 200 years ago that most people alive today are not required to know how to make anything. The act of making something with our own hands and the resulting satisfaction and feelings of independence and accomplishment have become such a rare thing that people are becoming YouTube superstars by simply showing how to make things. The act of making something, whether it’s strictly utilitarian or purely artistic, or better yet, a bit of both is one of the most rewarding human experiences there is. There is little else that gives that sense of satisfaction that comes when you take a step back and declare that you made a thing and it’s good.Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

Nicole and I both come from “maker” families, hers from a more creative side in jewelry and mine from necessity, when we needed something we would more often make it rather than buy it, and that is still the case today, many of the tools in my blacksmith shop have been made by me. When we opened our doors at Riveting we did so because of a realization that we take for granted the making culture within our family. Many of you crave the opportunity to “make” but aren’t prepared to invest the time and money into tools and training as we have, but you would still like the experience of crafting a well made piece of jewelry or a fine leather belt that is customized to your particular taste and not dictated by a designer who is designing for the masses. It is our goal to provide a place to satisfy that craving and to share those moments with friends and family in a fun encouraging environment that values everyone’s creative process and encourages those who are uncertain about their creativity or skill. As this blog progresses it is my intention to share with you some of the projects we are working on behind the scenes, the tools we are developing to make the experience at Riveting more fun or some of our design stages, things you won’t necessarily see in the front of the studio but that can be interesting to watch as they progress.