How Makers and Shops Help Us Find Each Other Again
It’s been a hard couple of years. My son has been in a medical crisis that he’s only now coming out of, and during that time, money was tight and time to myself nearly nonexistent. I hadn’t bought new clothes in years — not a single T-shirt or sweater.
For my birthday, my mom and sister offered to take me shopping — their treat. I hesitated; it felt frivolous, and I wasn’t sure I could spare the hours. But I said yes, grateful for their generosity, and we drove to Rhinebeck, NY, a small town across the bridge from us, lined with independent shops.
We wandered in and out of boutiques that were a mix of trendy and traditional, pricey and practical. Honestly, I had sticker shock at first, realizing how much prices have climbed. But as the day went on, something shifted. We laughed. We tried things on just for fun. We chatted with shop owners and admired ceramics, jewelry, and clothing from independent brands and makers. Sometimes, we bought something when it felt exactly right.
In the days since, when I pull on the T-shirt that fits perfectly or clasp the necklace that feels like a talisman — remembering my sister fastening it for me — I feel something I hadn’t felt in a long time: restored. Reconnected to parts of myself I’d misplaced in the fog of the last few years.
I joked to my husband, “The whole idea of retail therapy is kind of gross, cliché, and consumerist — but you know… this time, it kind of worked.”
And that’s because what I felt that day with my family wasn’t really about consuming. It was about connecting.
People often talk about how independent store owners curate — how they find the best things and arrange them beautifully. But what struck me that day is how much they also convene — quietly weaving together makers and neighbors, objects and stories, into the living fabric of a community.
Those shops brought together makers from across the world, my mom and sister, and even parts of myself I’d forgotten — the part that still cares about beauty, craft, and expression. They also gave life to a Main Street.
Main Streets like that do the quiet, essential work of creating a commons — a shared heartbeat for a community. They’re where we see people we don’t yet know, where we murmur “excuse me” on the sidewalk, where we stumble upon things we didn’t know we wanted. It’s the opposite of an algorithm: the opposite of the world that only ever shows us what we already like, alone in our homes.
And that kind of connection matters more than ever. We live so much of our lives through screens — ordering online, working alone, divided in countless ways. The work that makers and shop owners do to bring people together in small, real, human moments is quietly radical.
Every object that passes through their hands — every necklace, every mug, every print — becomes a thread in a larger web of connection. When I wear that necklace, I feel tied not just to the shop where I bought it, but to the woman who made it, to the conversation I had with the shop owner as she wrapped it, to that small Main Street and everyone walking it that day. Makers and shops help create these layers of relationship and meaning that hold us together.
So if you’re a maker spending a late night in production, reaching out to store owners, pitching your line, or packing an order, I know it can feel tedious and sometimes insignificant. But really, you’re part of this same work of convening. Of weaving. Of helping people feel connected to the world, and to one another, again.
That work matters. And I’m grateful that you do it.
P.S. — See also 4 Reminders for Days When Running a Handmade Business Seems Pointless if you need even more encouragement along these lines. ❤️
P.P.S. — It should go without saying, but just to be clear: there are, of course, limitations to the value of what I’m describing above. While some are connected in the shops in Rhinebeck, many others are excluded or made invisible. And of course, there are crucial non-maker movements and projects we can all contribute to. But the fact remains that the convening that store owners do (in concert with makers) is deeply valuable on many levels.
How We Can Help You Grow Wholesale:
Wholesale In a Box
Our beloved comprehensive course and coaching is your all-in-one way to grow wholesale fast, steady, and long-term. Learn more here.
Getting Started With Wholesale
A free 4-part email course covering the basics of how wholesale works, keys for success, whether it’s right for you, and how to get started. Sign up here.
The Wholesale Reset
Our free email course for more advanced brands — we’ll help you reset your approach to wholesale and take concrete steps forward to change your results. Sign up here.
Line Sheet In An Afternoon
Our minicourse that gives you a 39-page comprehensive line sheet template to mix, match, and modify — along with the guidance, motivation, and help you need to make a great line sheet fast. Sign up here.