The Birth of Indiemommy

Forty years ago, my grandmother used to supplement the family income by embroidering complicated dragon and phoenix designs for high-end cheongsam makers. She did it at home. My neighbor in Hong Kong used to sew doll outfits at home for doll manufacturers. Back then, there were not as many career opportunities for working mothers and they were part of larger cottage industries using their hand craft skills. Nowadays, creative moms are starting their own craft businesses to be independent from their previous rigid work life. And using their skills to become successful entrepreneurial business women – or Indiemommies.

The demands of motherhood are incompatible with the 9 to 5, forty set hours of full time employment. The nascent “Indie” handmade movement has changed the work life of Indiemommies. They are able to take control of their time between diapers and trying to make a living. The following are a few examples of {NewNew} Indiemommies and their own experiences:

For Cynthia Mak of Fadingflowers, a connoisseur and maker of custom printed cards, it’s all about flexibility.

“I realized my Mother nor my Mother – in – Law were unable to help me watch over my daughter. I didn’t want to be subjected to finding a Nanny. Plus I wasn’t 100% into finding one and I didn’t trust them. I heard numerous crazy incidents of how a Nanny can abuse your own child and hurt them.

"It all started after I gave birth to my daughter. I wanted to do something and make a little business out of it rather doing nothing at home. I wasn't planning or expecting to be a big shot the next day, it took a lot of time and patience. I also don't want to use up all my time in business and work wise. I wanted time for my daughter as well. I enjoyed every moment of it by interacting with my daughter ever since I gave
birth.”

Cynthia and Evie

Brooklyn Indie Market founder Kathy Malone of Fofolle, formerly a costume designer for the Jose Limon dance and theater company, also started her handmade apparel business after the arrival of a new baby. “When my son Milo was born in 1998, I decided that the demands of the theater and dance world were incongruous with the needs of my new family.”

Kathy and Milo

Kristen Couse of Cakehouse, a textile design graduate of FIT and a former book editor, started her hand printed refashioned home accessories enterprise after she weighed out her scheduling options as a working mother.

“I feel really lucky that this independent, creative vocation that I've
chosen for myself, what I love to do, is also something that allows me such
freedom. I watch some of my friends really struggle with decisions about work
and kids. One of my friends is a city planner, and though she gets a generous
maternity leave from the city and has vacation time saved up that she could use,
she worries that if she takes too much time off, her recent promotion will be
jeopardized. Another good friend is a lawyer, and knows that if she has kids,
the only way she'll be able to continue working as a lawyer is to hire a nanny.
They both love their jobs, and love the idea of having kids and getting to be at
home with them when they're young, but because of the inflexible, family-unfriendly nature of the American corporate world, they will have to make sacrifices in both their jobs and their family life.

“Granted, there are limitations imposed on my business by the fact that
I juggle being a mom and being an entrepreneur. My son is only in school three
days a week, therefore I can really only work three days a week, so there is
only so fast I can grow. But I don't think that's entirely a bad thing---it has
allowed me to grow at a sane pace, and not get ahead of myself, and learn and
make mistakes without losing too much.”

Kristen and Wile

Being creative, entrepreneurial and an indiemommy, offers great opportunities for women to enjoy what they do while bringing up their children. I would like to hear of some good examples of indiedaddy or, perhaps, indiehubby.

-May Luk
MayLuk.etsy.com

Indie-Pendence from the Mermaid: Indie Coffee Shops

Often, independent artists and artisans toil for long hours - either at their chosen craft or at another more lucrative endeavor that allows them to then in their "free time" pursue their creative work.

Sometimes this makes us sleepy.

Studies have shown that coffee is good at making you feel less sleepy.

In the spirit of indie-pendence, here are a few notable non-multinational purveyors of the bean:

• Across the street from Brooklyn Indie Market,The Fall Café is a friendly venue with good snacks and comfy chairs.
• Not quite a huge many-tentacled entity, Joe has four locations in Manhattan - I frequent the one at 9 East 13 Street - and they make a superb latte.
• With two locations in the inner borough, Jack's boasts a proprietary stir-brew process that makes a rad beverage. Its 222 Front St location feels like somebody's log cabin, in a good way.
• While I have not been there myself, I hear good things about Café Grumpy, which has a location in Greenpoint and one in Chelsea. Their Hearts and Crafts fairs bring together crafters and coffee for fun and profit.
• Lula Bean on in Williamsburg boasts a cute and homelike atmosphere.
• Klatch offers respite from the corporateness if the Financial District.
• Bread Stuy on Lewis Avenue tempts you to have a little cake with your coffee.
  
• Westchester-ites need their brew too: in Tarrytown, head to Coffee Labs (think puppies, not scientists) for the good stuff; Peekskill you say? Try the Peekskill Coffee House. Croton-on-Hudson? Really? Ok- The Black Cow.
• For the coffee-loving cinephile, The Archive in Bushwick has both rad flicks and sweet beans.
  
• On the corner of Fifth Avenue and Park Place in Park Slope, Gorilla Coffee roasts their own fair trade beans. Now that's indie-pendent.
  

-MaryAnne
wabisabi brooklyn
wabisabibrooklyn.etsy.com

Why Buy Handmade?

While many of us enjoy buying beautiful, hand-crafted goods, we don’t always think of the positive impact our purchases have on our lives and community. In support of our Indie-pendence theme this month, I have 5 reasons to buy handmade.

1. Supports Local Economies
Buying from local businesses (crafters and artists) that are buying their supplies locally, you are putting your money back into the local economy, instead of large conglomerates that funnel their money to a headquarters across the country or across the world.

Skirt by BetterThanJam

2. Builds Community
Supporting local artists allows a flourishing artistic community. It’s not just the local artists that benefit. It invites more galleries and boutiques as well as community artists projects, gardens, murals, arts education, and more.

Painting by ArtByIris photographed in front of the Brooklyn Bridge

3. Better Quality Goods
You know exactly what’s gone into each product and can speak with the crafter about the why and how of making each piece. In addition to the detailed craftsmanship, many handmade goods are made from natural or recycled materials. This and making the products to last for generations instead of years lessens our impact on the natural world.

Veggie Garden Soap Bar by NordeaSoaperie

4. More Beauty in Your Life
Many mundane and practical pieces used in everyday life can be enhanced by using instead beautifully crafted handmade goods. Beauty makes the soul rest easier and smiles more prevalent.

Cloth Napkins by Cakehouse

5. Responsible Buying
No sweatshops, less than minimum wage workers, nor corporate outsourcing. It feels good to be connected to where our goods come from, to know that each piece was made with joy and completed by one or maybe a handful of people.

Robot Card by MamaRobot

Supporting handcrafted goods means we can become responsible for where our money goes and what we bring into our lives: beauty, health, and community.