I felt this most keenly when I had to swap out my handmade pouch in my bag to a mass-produced pouch. I had squashed a sweet in my pouch and it was all sticky so while waiting for it to be washed, I had to find an alternative. I didn’t enjoy using the mass-produced alternative, even if it was for a few days. I missed the lovely softness, look and mostly feel of the handmade one I have been using every day for years, one I got from fellow crafter, Projects by Jane.
That’s when I realised the value of handmade. That’s when I realised the appeal of handmade items over mass-produced ones and why people didn’t mind paying so much more for a Momshoo pouch when they could get a similar-sized pouch at a fraction of the cost. Even as the maker, I always wondered about that. And it is so nice to feel the difference now that I have experienced it myself.
Handmade feels different. It feels like thought has gone into it. Someone had thought about the little details, they are designed for a reason. Someone’s hands made it with care. And as my customer has recently reviewed about our cutlery pouch: “超喜æ¡ðŸ’•å°±æ˜¯å–œæ¡é€™ç¨®æœ‰æº«åº¦çš„手作” (which roughly translates)- she loves it because it is hand-made that brings warmth.
It is so lovely to read how people feel about my work and especially when they manage to put it in words better than I can. But yes, that is the reason why I make my products. I hope you will feel good using a Momshoo product every day. I hope it will bring a smile to your face!
It may be overly dramatic, but it is about building an emotional relationship to everyday items we interact with daily. It feels better when these are made by hand. And even better when you have met the maker in person! You will end up treasuring it for longer and consume less in the process 🙂
It could be something simple like my pouch that sits in my bag for most of the day. It could be that hand-thrown ceramic cup you use every morning.
I was reading Jenny Lin’s post on The Tiny Torch Instagram and I love how she puts it in words:
“A few years ago, I decided that I would seek handmade alternatives to objects that I interact with on a daily basis. I’ve ended up with a rich collection of objects made by wonderful humans, and my existence is better for it. ”
I want to continue to make handmade objects like that. 🙂
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