Okay, makers of good stuff: we’re looking for you to join in.
I first heard about the fantastic sell-stuff-you-make community, Etsy, from a reader here on CDM, shortly after the service launched. Now, Etsy has become a real phenomenon for people who make stuff, giving them a high-quality venue in which to network with other makers and start real businesses out of what they produce.
Etsy is best known for, well, fuzzy things, from shirts to knitting to plushies — that is, craft-y work more than the harder, electronics-based music and motion technology that’s our bread and butter here. Some of you readers have turned out to be quite crafty, in which case, give us a shout and let us know your Etsy page!
But Etsy may soon become a great venue for other things, as well. Imagine:
- Limited-run CDs and DVDs, with hand-screened artwork, from indie artists like yourself (music, visuals)
- Handmade music-related stuff (think t-shirts, posters)
- DIY electronics, circuit-bent instruments, alternative controllers, homemade synthesizers and guitar pedals, etc.
- Custom plug-ins and code on limited-run, handmade discs
You can imagine some of the other possibilities. In that spirit, we’ll be collaborating here at CDM with the good folks of Etsy, who happened to be headquartered just over the river from me in Brooklyn, about 15 minutes away. I’ll be talking more about some of the possibilities as they evolve, but first up is an Etsy group:
Digital Music + Motion Makers [Etsy.com Street Team Forum]
Just reply to that message, and I’ll add you to our group. If you’re currently an Etsy member, please stop by the forum on Etsy.com and let us know. If not, and you want to join the group, just sign up for a free Etsy account and post to the forum with your account name. (You can always get approved as a seller later — if you’re like me, that’ll be in about six months when you’ve actually got something to sell.)
Like making things but not necessarily selling them? No worries, as we’ve got some opportunities for you, too. Stay tuned.