What is the point of being a maker? Have you ever thought why you pick up a drill to make cabinets or wake up in the middle of the night to turn screws on a robot?
At a glance, it appears practical. Making things might be cheaper than buying premade products right? For a few things, sure, but we live in an age where we can get by in our lives simply by purchasing everything we need. It's not practical to weld your own silverware set when you move into a new house. Living in America means there will always be a product you can buy to help you work around being incapable of doing something. We are a culture steeped in instant ramen packets and microwave egg cookers.
Don't get me wrong, I actually think this is a good thing! Innovation has always had a crappy signal to noise ratio. In Edison's day, for every lightbulb you had a hundred thousand people trying to make a better candle. "Worthless gadgets" are crucial to the rich stew of American innovation, because you never know when something will catch and become a hit, sometimes for all the wrong reasons (shake weight anyone?)
Etsy, the great economic equalizer, has proven that we place an extraordinary value on artistry, which is the real driver of the maker movement. I cut my teeth on the platform, thinking that there was no way I could make a living selling handmade glowing t-shirts, and I was pleasantly proven wrong. There are places in the world for EL-Wire weavers and candle makers alongside of robotics and mechanical engineers.
STEM is an anagram for "Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math", and has been the go-to phrase when educators talk about teaching standards in public schools. "We need more women in STEM fields!" they say, "How can we get young girls excited about STEM?"
I have a practical solution. Add an A. I have a Bachelors in Science, but it wasn't until I embraced my artistic side that I really found my niche as a modern renaissance woman. Now, my shared passion of both Science and the Arts is opening new doors of opportunity and moving what was an intensely personal project into a more public arena. STEAM allows me to be both a scientist and an artist, combining creativity and self-expression into a multitude of business and creative opportunities in the bay area.
Why do I make? Because I'm a self-made woman, and I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to make my dreams into reality.
What's on the horizon? What great things are coming down the pipes for me? I'm so pleased to announce I'll be working alongisde the lovely Claire of Rafiakids to develop more curriculum for her maker and coding classes. She's @rafiakids on twitter and will be posting video and blogs about the robotics project we're currently tackling together.
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