We are constantly bombarded with objects in our daily life that are generic and mass-produced. Michael Cardew noticed this trend to “depersonalized the objects we most admire.” Handmade qualities are sometimes seen as flaws that might limit the function of a thing. To me making is a way to repersonalize the objects around us. It is in opposition to the sterility and uniformity so many objects that surround me seem to be striving for.

There is also something inherently human about making. Animals build nests and other architecture, but given the choice I would imagine they would opt for an easier route. In my eyes, choosing to make a bowl (or 1000) as opposed to buying one couldn’t be a more human action. That choice connects to a human culture that reaches as far back as prehistory when people were manipulating materials in a way that is not so different from the way we do it today.