The day our November issue launched online, I got a message from stained-glass artist Melanie Eve Schaffer. Melanie had created a beautiful window piece for me at the behest of an old friend in July, and we’ve followed each other’s work via Instagram since then.
She messaged to let me know she had read my editorial in regard to local artists, and suggested I would like the work by Gordon Glass Studio (Product Q+A, pg. 30). By this point, it’s probably obvious that I did, and Johnny Gordon’s enthusiasm to participate in the article was enough to melt these solid ice cubes the Midwest calls winter days.
I’ve said it before, but that type of connection and enthusiasm for design is one of the things I love most about this job—and there are a lot of things to love.
We designers are a unique bunch; we have a passion for what we do. Oftentimes, the boundaries between work and personal lives are blurry because when you do what you love, it seeps into every aspect of your life. Last year I read on Forbes.com that a majority of Americans dislike their jobs, and since then, this industry has continuously been on my daily list of “gratefuls” because I am honored to be amongst people who are passionate about the work they do every day.
No design job is easy, and passion is a necessity, but the way in which makers are able to work through the unique difficulties of starting a business with sometimes nothing more than a few raw materials and an Instagram account, with such drive and enthusiasm, is awe-inspiring. So the purpose of our March Makers Issue is to highlight those makers and the heavy-hitters in our industry giving them a leg up—whether it is putting together Etsy product pages (Sources, pg. 24), Etsy itself filling its new office with maker goods (How I Sourced It, pg. 38), spending hours building intricate fixtures from wood salvaged from bowling lanes (Product Breakdown, pg. 28), or sitting at boardroom tables putting together a plan to help makers gain more notoriety in the industry.
With this issue, I hope you feel excited and inspired. And definitely don’t hold back from sending me designers you think we should know about. That’s one of my favorite parts of logging online. ([email protected] or @kadieyale on Instagram.)
