What is a Maker?

You know when that kitchen appliance broke last month or when you really wanted to get something special for someone or you had a great idea about a new product and instead of going out and buying a new one you said, “Let’s see if I can fix/make/build this instead?” This is the essence of what being a maker is all about. A maker is a creative person who strives to create in a world that bombards him or her with consumption. A maker is a person who makes the conscious decision to re-purpose, fix, remake or reinvent something in their life. 

Our great grandparents were makers. Our grandparents were makers, and maybe even our parents were makers. They all sought to provide the best for their children and made do with what they had. If our current trend continues, our parents will be the last generation of people who actually made things with their bare hands. It was sometimes a necessity, other times pride but this knowledge of how things are made is being forgotten. We have strayed a long way from our ancestors path. We have all attempted to do better in our lives than our parents, but as a result, some of us have chosen not to cultivate our maker roots. It’s easier to pay for someone else to do it or buy it off a shelf. However, this type of consumer-based society has led us to miss out on amazing experiences. Letting someone else do the work has made us start to forget a big portion of how to make items with our bare hands. 

Make San Antonio seeks to regain that glimmer of a life where fixing things came easier, making things was a commonality and the pride you felt by accomplishing a project on your own was priceless.