When a shop stocks MCreativeJ, I not only do a happy dance, but I also want to tell them how magical they are. Magical for supporting local, magical for buying handmade, and magical for giving me a platform to share my work.
Usually around this time of year, I'm prepping like crazy for holiday shows. Don't get me wrong, I'm still making tons of things and have some exciting new products to share with you in the coming weeks and months, but it's not the same as if I were vending at an in-person fair or market. And it feels kind of weird.
Holiday shows are something I look forward to all year, not only because they're where I can connect with amazing makers, see friends, and make connections with local shops, but because (real talk) they're where I make a good amount of my yearly revenue.
So what are makers like me doing?
I recently joined JOIN Design, a community of designers, makers, and artists that believes in creating objects with stories, getting hands dirty, and taking pride in the products produced. JOIN supports small businesses and includes 60+ independent designers and studios from across the United States. They're truly an amazing group.
This September we're putting on a Virtual Trade Show to connect with small businesses looking to stock local and handmade products.
When you start holiday shopping this year, you can still shop your favorite stores and hopefully also support me and other designers and studios in the process. When a shop stocks goods from makers like me, we're able to support each other! And with this economy, it's more important than ever to shop your favorite small and local shops.
So let's make more magic happen! Share this post or about the JOIN Design Virtual Trade Show with your favorite shop. The Trade Show is happening September 22-25, 2020 and shops will be able to stock MCreativeJ and many more amazing and local handmade artisan goods, just in time for the holiday season.