Making a Life: Working by Hand and Discovering the Life You Are Meant to Live
By Melanie Falick (Artisan Books, 2019)Creativity comes in many manifestations. The one celebrated in this lavishly photographed book has to do with people who create with their hands, making new forms out of a wide variety of materials—clay, metal, fabric, paper, and wood among them. In her tribute to these artisans, Melanie Falick, who abandoned a career in publishing to pursue crafting, traveled widely, seeking out those who create handmade works both beautiful and functional. Besides profiling individual craftspeople and showcasing their products, Falick also explores the spirit that drives them. Making things by hand, and marketing them, sets artisans apart. They see their creations all the way from idea to finished product, and find connection with their colleagues and buyers. By telling these makers’ stories, Falick offers a welcome pause from the increasingly high-tech, manufactured world of the everyday.