Craftcation Business and Makers Conference 2019 Recap

The first moment was before Craftcation even started when we were in deep prep mode – unloading the U-Haul, moving and unpacking hundreds of boxes, installing tons of handmade decor etc. Our crew was made up of staff, volunteers and even some attendees and we were all taking a lunch break. The conversation was flowing and open and honest as if we’d known each other years when the truth was, some of us had just met and didn’t even know each other’s names. We ended up hitting two of the four major topics that are usually taboo to talk about in many social situations: sex and religion (we didn’t hit money or politics). I looked on as the women sitting around me shared their thoughts in a way that told me that they felt safe. Anyone could see that we came from different backgrounds – it was like a crafty 2019 all ages version of The Breakfast Club but condensed into a quick lunch where we scarfed down cheeseburgers and listened to each other without judgement. That moment reminded me of one of my favorite characteristics of a Craftcation attendee – an open mind and heart. Open to meeting new people, hearing new perspectives, learning new things. And, it set the tone for the rest of my week.

I also sat in on a business class for the first time in the history of Craftcation. I turned my ringer off on my phone, knowing that our operations manager Spaulding and the rest of our staff were ready and able to brave any storm (thank you to them), and listened as presenter Lela Barker broke down the tenets of excellent branding. The example she gave us coupled with the way she presented it brought me to tears. Yes! I cried while she read the about page on a website for an apothecary brand! Then, she used Dear Handmade Life as an example and told me what we could be doing better. I actually volunteered to be her guinea pig, was SO grateful to have been chosen and I know the things she said will lead to a revolution of the Dear Handmade Life brand in a way that I knew was possible but couldn’t name – like waking from a dream that’s impossible to explain because you can only remember snapshots. In fact, the bits of wisdom she shared in that class led me to sign up for one of her one-on-one sessions and, I’m SO damn excited!

This was a true year of firsts for me, because aside from my first business class, I participated in crafting for the first time. Somehow, one of our craft managers Nik and I were able to wrangle several members of our staff together in the hotel lobby where she gave a quick indigo dyeing tutorial and semi-forced everyone to take a break to make something. “There are no mistakes in indigo dyeing! Just fold, rubber band or knot it and it’ll come out great!”, Nik said. I sat on the couch armrest knotting my Dharma Trading Co. scarf as tightly as I could (sadly, I didn’t think about the fact that I would have to take the knots out which took FOREVER!) and watched as the rest of our staff furiously prepared their textiles so we’d finish in time to get back to our departments to wrap up the work day. Nik took charge of our items and dropped them in the vats of leftover dye from Anna Joyce’s workshops (thanks Nik!). I dyed just about a dozen tea towels and they have become my pride and joy of my kitchen. I actually LIKE to wash dishes now because I get to lay them on my handmade indigo towels that remind me daily of the power and joy of making something by hand.

There were tricky moments, too. Things that didn’t go according to the plan. Miscommunications. Long, long, long, work days. At least one moment when I didn’t present myself as my best self. I won’t get into everything that was less than perfect because considering that we had over 220 workshops and events jam packed into just over a weekend, I think we did pretty well and I absolutely could not have done it alone!

Craftcation is a labor of love. It’s also a family affair. The family part isn’t just that my aunt Delilah and I had this crazy dream for a maker’s conference in 2012 and made it happen together for seven years (she’s since stepped back to focus on her other business, Alta Baja Market). And it’s not just that my family has been there every year to lend a hand – whether it’s been my husband, cousin and high school bestie cooking or my aunts serving lunch or my mom bandaging up an attendee after a crafting mishap or checking students into classes or my dad and Delilah’s husband driving the U-Haul and helping us unload it countless times. It’s that over the years, our attendees have become like a second family. Chiao Tan, the mom of our keynote presenter Amy Tangerine didn’t just help her daughter with her classes but she helped our staff setup and breakdown other workshops! People thought attendees like Mary Ann, Lisa C., Kreg and Marissa were staff because everywhere you looked, there they were, offering help. Our staff this year (as I write those words I can hardly read this screen because my eyes are filled tears of gratitude to each and every one of them), led by our operations director Spaulding, blew my mind with their dedication and made me feel like we were a true team that had each other’s back and would do whatever it took to get to our common goal of making Craftcation the best that we could.

Thank you to our staff, volunteers (including the unofficial volunteers), presenters, sponsors, partners, venues and of course to all of you attendees who are now part of the Craftcation family.

See you in 349 days at our next family reunion aka Craftcation Conference 2020.

P.S. – Thanks to our photo/video team Jessica and her husband Alex of Jessica Griffin Photography for all the awesome photos below (except for a few tossed into the mix that either I took or Sarah Deragon took on her photo walking tour). 🙂 You can see Jessica’s full gallery here.

-Nicole S.