The Intimacy of Handmade

Pictured: Divine Pine Studios mug, Cave and Canopy spoon, Third Coast Herbal Collective electuary.

What is it about bringing your lips to a handmade mug that feels special? About using a hand carved scoop to stir an herbalists medicine into your drink?

Rarely do we realize the intimacy of handmade goods.

Let’s use a friend who carves wooden spoons as an example (@caveandcanopy). First, the wood is gathered from nature and axed into pieces. Each spoon is meticulously shaped, cut, carved, and finished with knives; unique in it’s shape and moments of creation. Hundreds of patient strokes and hours later, an object is formed that someone can spend the rest of their lives using. Notice each curve and notch as an expression of creativity, as a piece of energy in physical form. Artists and craftsman trade endless hours with the understanding that their art will live on with a functional purpose.

Handmade wares connect us in the most intentional way. They bring friends and family together for meals, start conversations, and remind us that even on our loneliest days we aren’t alone. We live a life intertwined with those who produce our goods. In fact, the presence of the maker lives on in the goods we own. Whether it’s rambunctiously clinking drinks together in celebration or sitting quietly in the morning, the maker’s mark is always there, unique in it’s expression.

The thoughtfulness of smoothing the lip on a mug and making a comfortable handle is not only an indicator of artistry but a gesture of kindness to the ones who will soon put their lips to it. In this way, being a maker is one of the most intimate ways I interact with my community. I can only hope every time a piece is used a moment of contentment is felt— A moment where you feel a ‘hug and hello’ from me to you, and where you can visualize the quiet moments of time where it was created, just for you.