Portland Is What You Make

It hasn’t been the most festive kickoff to the holiday season. The fall’s been an increasingly dark time, zapping us of cheer as we’ve watched the country take a frightening turn. One thing (of many) we’ve learned along the way is that concern about the economy is extra high (perhaps overshadowing human and environmental rights and decency, but that’s another conversation).

So, at this moment, how can we ratchet up the holiday glee and help grow the economy in a more sustainable, equitable way, at least here in our city? We can think local. We can make local.

Portland is a city of talented, passionate artisans selling items made with an overwhelming amount of love and craft. In the pages ahead, we celebrate the city’s makers at all levels. That could be a creative woodworker racking up millions of views online, or a ceramicist whose drops nearly always sell out. We also have thoughts on where to take your hard-earned dollars for a better Black Friday experience, supporting established artisans and up-and-comers at local makers markets. Some things are made just for cheering us up, like a full-on dream house for an injured bumblebee. And if you want to start making cool things yourself—we have some thoughts on that, too.

There are loads of places to take your dollar so it stays within a handful of miles, leaving you with a unique piece and making a local artisan’s life a little better. Like they say, a rising tide lifts all boats (and the tide that comes from an increasingly fast-tracked climate catastrophe, that one really brings the boats up—but again, a chat for another time).

Maybe we can’t lift the darkness overnight, but let’s see if we can start to make things a little better ourselves. —Robin Bacior, Arts & Culture Editor