Cover Image: Making a Life

Making a Life

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Member Reviews

What a lovely book to look through! The photography is wonderful, and I enjoyed looking into the lives of all the makers featured- seeing their work, their work spaces, homes, gardens, seeing them making. The stories were interesting and well told, and I found much to admire in these women and men, and much to be inspired by. And good heavens, this book will make you want to create! It would've been nice to see a few more makers of color; perhaps in a future edition- I'm hoping for another volume in the future, with more makers and creators to be inspired by!

#MakingAlife #NetGalley

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Since the book is subtitled, "Working by Hand and Discovering the Life You Are Meant to Live," I was expecting either some motivational self-help stuff about being more creative, or some how-to ideas, or better yet, both, but I got neither.

If this were a series of magazine articles featuring interviews with makers, I would read that series. But as a standalone collection, it feels same-y in all the wrong ways. Not enough diversity among the makers themselves, as others have noted, and also not with the things they make--many of them have a similar aesthetic. The inclusion of Natalie Chanin bumped it up one star for me, though.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC.

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This large book will appeal to a certain type of reader but not to all. I assumed it was a bit of a how-to book and it is not. You do not learn how the artisans do their crafts or how they managed to make a living doing them. It is sort of a coffee table book in that it is packed with photos of the artists and crafters who are featured, along with their homes and their work, and then lots of text about what it all means to them.

I have to agree with the reviewer who noted the stark absence of diversity in these profiles. The first biography of a woman of color didn't appear until well over a hundred pages in, and there were only a handful for the rest of the book. Male artisans are also generally absent until towards the very end of the book.

I admit to only skimming the book since it is so long and so packed with the author's and the artisans' thoughts. I looked through every page but didn't read all the text, so am not putting any read date or counting it as a book read as much as a book browsed.

Each profile includes a biography of the artisan and a sort of interview, and lots of waxing poetic about modern times, the makers' journeys, etc. The photography is beautiful and there is a lot of it. This will make good reading for those who relate to these artisans or to choosing this kind of slow and purposeful life.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

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A librarian friend recommended I request this book so I did but sadly it wasn't compatible with my Kindle. This book looks beautiful but I was unable to open the download. 😢

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A book full of inspiration, both textual and visual. Beautiful to browse the stories of women living with creativity. Will appeal to others who practice handcrafts and those who simply appreciate the meticulous work creative women do.

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I absolutely love everything about this book! Beautiful photographs, wonderful writing. Inspiring stories from makers throughout the world. Using our hands is so important. Quilters, knitters, weavers, woodworkers and many more. Some I knew of, many I didn’t. I highly recommend this book to everyone and can’t wait to give it as gifts and have a copy in my hands. Thank you for this special book.

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My heart is still wrapped up in the gorgeous, intimate, thoughtful stories told through these extraordinary creatives that fill this beautiful book. Melanie takes a deeply sensitive and thorough exploration into each creative life, sharing the vast and diverse richness that creativity can bring to the way we live and breathe. I loved reading every story and was captivated by the gorgeous images that made me want to jump into the page and start making something too. Melanie has a wonderful, accessible, inviting writing style, exploring the many layers within a creative life and witnessing how creative pursuits play an essential and crucial role in finding personal purpose, joy and fulfillment. This book is a very special gift for the world. A gift of knowing and validating how important creativity is and how making things by hand can truly make a life ~ in so many different ways & interpretations. It’s more crucial than ever that we all honor the infinite potential of our own two hands, as it defines who we are and allows us to connect with ourselves in a way that nothing else can. Each one of us can live out a creative life in the way that fills our own souls, and this book makes that feel possible and exciting!

For me personally, this book has propelled me forward to deepen my thinking into my own creative life ~ what it looks like, the various roles it plays, and how important it is to making meaning in my day to day. I am compelled, called and inspired to bring forth more creativity into my days, and what a fantastic feeling that is! Thank you, Melanie, for this magnificent piece of art. I can’t wait to get a copy to hold in my own two hands.

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I found this book inspiring! Making a Life is a journey of portraits built from discussions with Makers. Learning about the people and process behind all different kinds of handmade objects is a refreshing change from the Instagram level engagement I often fall into, when I learn of new (to me) Makers. There are a wide array of trades, craftsmanship, artistry, materials, locations and lifestyles represented. The photography brings the words to life and I cannot wait to have a physical copy of this book, to add that tactile experience to my next reading.

I do not see myself becoming a maker dedicated to one craft or a particular material. Nor do I think I'll ever make a business of what I make with my hands. However while reading this book I felt an overwhelming need to get up and go make something. I compromised for sitting next to my loom while I kept reading. My favorite part about the book was how it was organized. Instead of a simple collection of information, it really takes you through a journey of a creative process, as Melanie mentions in her introduction. By the end, I felt as though I should recognize more intentionally the creativity I bring to my own daily life. It may not look like the individuals featured in this book, but that is why "finding your voice" is part of the journey.

People who are passionate about making have an infectious energy and their inspiration is contagious. Melanie Falick has captured that passion through Making a Life. I hope this book sparks creativity in others and a DIY renaissance discussion may continue throughout our global Making community.

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With my first reading, I have the same feeling about MAKING A LIFE that I did about Melanie Falick's classic 1996 book, KNITTING IN AMERICA—a book that changed the way I think about craft and making. This is a true odyssey, a journey we can all take to explore what makes us make things. I'll read and re-read this book as avidly as I have done with KNITTING IN AMERICA.

This new book is such a natural companion, a deeper exploration into the human impulse to make ordinary things into extraordinary things.

It's a book to savor.

For one thing, it is beautiful, a lovely object in itself and absolutely stacked with images. So many character-filled faces. So much to see.

Most important is the cast of characters in this exploration: the people profiled in this book are from varied backgrounds, different parts of the world, up to a wide range of creative pursuits. What unites them all—and what inspires me utterly—is that they each have their own points of view, their own ways of approaching their work. For some, it is indeed work—making things to be sold. For others, making is an organic part of life, where the integration of creativity and everyday life happens all day long.

The author takes us to places we would otherwise never have the chance to see—and the conversations she chronicles are rich and wide ranging.

The bottom line here? MAKING A LIFE changes the way I think about craft and making. I can't think of the last time a book moved me so. Oh wait—it was that 1996 book by Melanie Falick, KNITTING IN AMERICA.

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I love Melanie Falick's writing style; usually, I flip through books like these and occasionally read a story, but this time I kept reading, and that's quite an accomplishment for a coffee table style book!
Melanie did a great job portraiting makers not just in America but also from other countries. The diversity of work by the currated artists and makers, their stories and, beautiful photography make it an inspiring book.

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Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

There are only 5 or 6 non white artisans in the whole book. That is not representative of the craft/maker/artisan community. So why did the author exclude and omit POCs. The author perpetuated exclusion by omission.

The author’s premise for the book, as stated in her introduction, is to showcase creatives who’s “way they are leading their lives is both relatable and inspiring” But the lack of representation obfuscates that point to me. It is hard to be inspired when you can’t see yourself in the pages.

I do not dislike the book or the dialogues with the artists featured. I think it overall is a sound format and provides valuable insights into craft, creativity and persistence. But this book feels tired, like its been done before a million times especially with the lack of representation.

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