We all know that when you create something with your own hands, a little piece of your soul and energy gets into the product while making it… and this is where the rising social-commercial movement is born – with consumers preferring things made by small producers, artisans or farmers instead of those made on cold production lines for mass consumption, with profit as the goal.

I love that even though we are in times of economic crisis, we see a rising trend to appreciate where and how things are made even though this may imply paying more.

Another side of this movement is that more and more people are choosing to follow their passion and leaving traditional 40-hour per week jobs or reinventing their lives when they are laid off to start something up that they enjoy! Don’t you think that using something made with love is better for us that something made by machines, poor working conditions or by someone who is not really interested?  Don’t you feel wonderful contributing to more people enjoying work?

I am reminded of Like Water for Chocolate, that fabulous Laura Esquivel novel and film where the material and emotional are totally connected. The main character’s emotion or state of mind while cooking is transmitted to anyone who eats her culinary masterpiece such as sadness from a tear drop falling into her food or when she cooks with love for a wedding, the guests are deliriously overtaken by passion.

Although this movement is not new, we are seeing a revival beginning in the United States which is spreading to the rest of the world.  In Spain, it is most apparent in the food sector, in the quality of raw materials, the focus on local and organic.  However, little by little it is spreading to other sectors as well.

Gerard Costa, Marketing Professor at ESADE, and Sales & Marketing expert feels “the most powerful reason for these businesses is the evolution of consumers’ tastes. They have started to place more value on a series of attributes: Authentic versus the artificial, unnecessary o too adorned; fresh, local and seasonal for reasons of control, flavour and authenticity; locally made products, handcrafted by real artisans. They are motivated by the quality they can get through direct channels now.”

In a recent study, the sociologist Richard Sennet analyzed the reevaluating of artisan work as a genuine answer and commitment to the issues of de-humanized consumerism.

Another reason for this rising trend is that thanks to new technologies, today any small producer can have a website and on-line shop, so the consumer can purchase directly from them.  This way, the big name-brands cannot compete with these free artisans doing what they love and the clients demanding quality and “essence” above everything else.

Personally, I adore this return to the makers, the local and authentic and I participate in this movement whole-heartedly.  Getting out of stressful jobs a few years ago, I created Naturalmente Mediterraneo, where I hand-craft natural skincare products with a focus on enjoying what I do daily, using local ingredients, supporting the local community and economy and respecting the environment.

I love that the rising trend is to appreciate things that are more important than money and to support a world where we can choose to enjoy our work, to consume less but higher quality and that all of this is leading us to a more authentic future.

Xo

Jen

Imagen de: apairandasparediy.com