The Cottage Industry!

Independent….Free from the control or influence of others…(Oxford Dictionary).

This is a huge shoutout to ALL indie creators, to the musicians, the artists, the makers, and crafters, to the writers, poets, knitters, and bakers (And anyone I may have missed out)!

During this Lionsgate portal, which some of you may be familiar with, I have been reflecting on this years affirmation, and my thoughts led me to the cottage industry of years ago. Coming from an ancestry of hawkers and street sellers, I reached back to the times when the high streets were a bustling place, filled with creators selling their carefully crafted wares.

A time where conversation between crafter and customer was abundant and exchanges of advice from seller to seller were the norm. And then my thoughts turned to today and how very rare this is.

This wonderful industry struggles to compete with giant corporations and producers of mass generated products, so perhaps an uprising of independent creators is on the horizon, where collectively we can take on the might of massive institutions, whose only aim is to make profit.

At local craft and makers fair, you only have to look at the expression on the creators face when you make a purchase, it is an expression of gratitude, pride, and appreciation for the love and time they have put in to create their products, something you will never experience when buying from the ‘machine.’

When you attend a live music event, sing along, dance, and soak up the electrifying atmosphere the gratitude and euphoria expressed by the band is phenomenal, again something that you cannot replicate when streaming from the ‘machine.’

Which leads me to this years affirmation, to revive an age old concept, to encourage and attend as many makers fairs and live music events, for fear of losing this concept forever.

Thank you for taking the time to read,

Brightest blessings,

Louise /|\