Handmade Nation

[April 1st, 2009]

Faythe Levine, 31, calls Handmade Nation a DIY film about a DIY culture. Financed almost entirely by credit card, the 65-minute film isn’t so much a history of the movement as a videotaped trip through a number of really cool craft shows, punctuated by super-fun opening and closing credits. Levine interviews dozens of crafters from across the country—Portland included—but some of their messages conflict. Some lament the creep of capitalism. Others say working with other crafty ladies (and, let’s face it, most of them are ladies) makes them feel like they’re shopping all day long. The film doesn’t grapple with this paradox. Neither, it seems, does Levine, whose film (and book by the same name) is featured on a blog from Urban Outfitters, a company whose cheap apparel carries the handmade aesthetic, even though it’s mass-produced. WW recently caught up with Levine by phone in Milwaukee, Wis., where she owns a shop and organizes an indie craft fair.

WW : Why did you want to make this film?

Faythe Levine: I was watching this community grow, and I felt like it was really important to capture what was going on. I knew that it was either going to change, people would lose a little bit of interest or things would start to get a little more corporate. The handmade aesthetic was already being co-opted at that point by major companies.

What companies have co-opted the handmade aesthetic?

I’m not going to give you any names. I’m sorry. I think it’s easy enough to say the handmade aesthetic was being used as a marketing tool.

People in the film also express worry about the co-opting of craft. You have a book and a movie you’re promoting. Did you worry people would think you’d co-opted craft?

It’s never come up. No one’s ever asked me that. What do you mean?

Marketing a movie and a book about craft is kind of a puzzle, no?

I think most of the people who would be coming from that extreme point of view know me and know that my intentions are coming from a good place. It’s never come up. I mean, I’m pretty immersed in the community I’m educating people about.

How do you reconcile the anti-consumer aspects of the DIY movement with the urge on many people’s part to consume craft? Do you see that as a paradox?

I don’t think it’s about anti-consumerism. I think it’s about being a conscious consumer.

How did you pay for the film?

I financed it myself, mostly on credit cards. I also did a large amount of fundraising and received a small amount of grants. But the bulk of it was funded with my credit card.

How many crafters in your film make a living crafting? Were there any?

Yeah, there were some. The thing about the whole indie-DIY movement is that there’s not just one type of person. There are hobby crafters who give their work away. Then you have people who still work a day job. And then there are a number of people who have made their businesses a full-time job.

Is the recession good or bad for crafting?

It’s both. Industry sales of materials have gone up. However, I know that a lot of people who sustain their income with their businesses are struggling.