The Art Of Brand Storytelling With 'We Are Makers'
We Are Makers - Edition Nine
The act of making is fascinating; the ability to transform a raw material into something else, the skill of creating an object that's both beautiful and functional.
‘We Are Makers’ is a quarterly printed magazine bringing together stories of creatives from around the world. The makers featured are all mastering their crafts, valuing the process as much as the final results and taking a stand against mass manufacturing. The ‘We Are Makers’ community is about safeguarding traditions, ensuring sustainability, and inspiring future generations. There’s a slow, considered and gentle respect for the skill of handmade (hands are featured on every cover).
Read on for our Q&A with magazine editors Kate and Jack Lennie to discover their own story and their shared passion for making and storytelling.
Q: Your tagline is ‘We Tell Makers Stories’ - we would love to hear your own story…
A: We Are Makers isn't just our venture; it's a way of life for us—we own it, live it, breathe it. Our paths first crossed in 2011 studying product design at university. The culmination of our academic endeavours in 2015 marked the beginning of a wonderful journey.
We are situated just outside Glasgow, Scotland. From here we have curated a global community of makers and we tell their stories within the beautiful pages of our crafted printed magazine, a project that took flight less than five years ago.
We just knew we needed to do it, so we did it.
The past five years have been marked by immense dedication, resilience during challenging moments, and financial risks, yet driven by our profound passion and an incredibly fulfilling mission, we now get to work with amazing brands in support of makers and to travel the world talking with truly interesting and inspiring people.
Q: How do you decide which makers to feature and how do you approach telling their stories?
A: This is an often asked question. We love our magazine because of the diverse crafts we include. How do we decide? We scroll through Instagram and save any exciting makers/craftspersons/and artists to a folder. We also have a maker's submission form on our website which receives an overwhelming amount of submissions monthly. When we come around to planning an edition, we reach out to those makers both saved and submitted. Kate contacts each maker to explain our mission and how we can provide them with a global platform to tell their story. We give them a detailed document with everything they need to know and questions to consider when writing their story. We also choose a few makers to hop on a call and do an 'interview' with, really an informal chat, which we then transcribe for print.
Artist and maker Lea Durie featured in Edition 9 of We Are Makers magazine, images by Taylah Cunningham
Q: Why do you think having a great story is important for makers, creatives and small businesses and how does it help them share and sell their work and brand?
A: Everyone has a story to tell and each story is unique. When searching for makers to feature, Jack and I often come upon a fantastic maker on Instagram and get excited to jump onto their website and learn more about them; however, there's no about page and sometimes not even their name! I think it's important for makers to have an about page. It won't just be us who are curious; many customers or brands looking to work with the maker will want to know, so I recommend making it easy for them to find out. Last year, I gave our community a challenge to pin a picture of themselves and 'who they are' in the caption to the top of their Instagram profile. It's excellent for anyone landing on their profiles to find out who they are quickly.
Q: What do you think are the common threads that every great maker story should have?
A: Aside from hard work, dedication, and unwavering passion for their craft there is no common thread. A maker can come from any walk of life and find a place for themself.
Artist and maker Henry Wood featured in Edition 9 of We Are Makers magazine, image by Brook Wassall
Q: For many makers, their personal and business stories are very entwined, what advice would you share with someone on how to separate their life story from their brand story?
A: In our opinion, there's no need to maintain a strict separation; as a maker, who you are and what you do daily are inherently interconnected. We advocate for embracing the synergy between your personal brand and your business brand—fostering an environment of honesty and transparency. This approach not only enhances relatability but also encourages individuals to invest not just in your product but in you as a craftsperson. Sharing your beliefs, experiences, and journey contributes to a more profound connection, adding substantial value to your brand.
Pages from Edition 01 of the We Are Makers Photobook ‘An Honest Representation of the Modern Maker’
Q: Are there any particular stories that have really stuck with you from those you have shared since you launched?
A: Numerous stories have left a lasting impact on us, and what truly stands out is the remarkable community we've created over the years. Many of the featured makers have evolved into cherished friends. One notable example is our podcast, initiated over a year ago to complement our printed magazine. We spotlighted the story of Tim Cullen, a talented penmaker in Canton, Georgia, USA who had quietly followed our journey from the outset. Tim reached out to us via DM, expressing his desire to craft a handmade pen as a token of gratitude for us featuring his story in our magazine.
This unexpected gesture took Jack and I by surprise. Tim's appreciation for our work culminated in a unique pen bearing our engraved logo, prominently displayed on the front cover of edition six. Tim promised to send the finished pen to us in Scotland. At that point, our in-person podcast had primarily explored the UK and Europe, and the thought of visiting makers in the US had yet to cross our minds. However, spurred by our commitment to spontaneous travel in 2023, Jack and I embarked on a 35-day journey through the States for podcasting.
Our first stop was to thank Tim for his generous gesture personally, and in the process, we forged a friendship with him and his wonderful wife Tracy, who is also a maker; a full-time ceramicist. They have since become more like family than friends. The generosity displayed by the makers we've encountered along this journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. We thank every one of them who has been a part of this journey.
Jack and I are just two ordinary, ambitious, curious people who genuinely care about the people we feature. We never like the whole 'we feature you once' and never talk to you again. We want to build this community up and continue to help wherever we can.
Q: Which other brand(s) have storytelling that you particularly love? And is there a maker with a story you'd love to share?
A: None jump out at us, I suppose that is why we started this. We are enthralled by interesting people who refuse to walk the beaten track and choose to navigate the world their way. There's something I think many of us have lost in today's society—the ability to explore. Not only explore the world but, more importantly, explore our thoughts and creativity.
Kate and Jack Lennie in conversation with artist and maker Matt Jackson
Q: What’s the next chapter for ‘We Are Makers’?
A: Our journey has been an incredible evolution since our inception. Establishing a magazine has proven to be a formidable challenge—a relentless endeavour that continues to test our mettle daily. With a clear vision, we have a comprehensive list of objectives to achieve this year.
In our initial stages, we operated somewhat behind the veil of the 'We Are Makers' logo, but over the past two years, we've embraced the inclusion of our personal narratives. In a pivotal move in December 2022, Jack transitioned away from his full-time role to join forces with me in building We Are Makers. Since then, our collaborative efforts have propelled significant and swift growth. I believe that is why we have done so well with growing our community: by putting ourselves out there and being transparent and relatable to the people we feature and meet.
Over the past few months, we've been working on a new website that will become a hub for everything we do. We are working to extend our reach, and in doing so extend the reach of the makers we feature. We see We Are Makers becoming a 'media house' for all things maker-related. It will be a valuable resource.
Alongside this, we want to concentrate on more travel and video content. Travel gives us a unique perspective on how different cultures approach making, craft, and art, something we think is highly important to the development of one's creative career. We are currently discussing with and searching for prominent brands about the sponsorship for an upcoming video series we aspire to produce. So, more on that soon!
Want to discover more brilliant brands? The stories continue on Instagram @simplemattersmedia and sign up for our monthly newsletter ‘Stories Matter’