Home

What is the Maker Movement?

The Maker movement is a revolution in which the human passion to create has permeated every corner of our world. It is a new culture of problem solving, innovating, and collaborating.

Mark Hatch is the CEO and co-founder of TechShop and author of The Maker Movement Manifesto, in which he discusses his "Maker Manifesto" - a set of guiding principles for Makers. Below I have summarized my own personal Maker Manifesto:

1. Make

You could be transforming a piece of wood into a lovely cutting board for a gift, designing and selling jewelry on Etsy as a small business owner, or building a trebuchet for the pure enjoyment of doing so. Regardless of the object, the tools, or the reason, make things.

2. Share

What you make is a form of expression and, like a Monet at a museum, we must show others our craft. An important part of the Making experience is to share what you make with others.

3. Learn

Making is a continuous process of trial and error, exploring new ideas, and building your knowledge. To be a Maker is to learn from others.

4. Teach

It is also satisfying to share the skills and knowledge you have learned with someone else. To be a Maker is to teach others.

What is a Maker?

The definition of what a Maker is can vary depending on who you ask. Likely, there is no single definition of what a Maker is. To me, a Maker is someone who enjoys creating, collaborating, and connecting with other like-minded individuals.

Adam Savage, co-host of Mythbusters and author of Every Tools a Hammer: Life is What You Make It, answers this first question very succintly.