Thoughts from founder, Kate Lennie 💭

This week, we've received a few shares on social media from the makers featured in our indie magazine, and every time we get tagged, it fills me with excitement. It's incredibly rewarding to see the makers we highlight feel honoured and grateful for the work we do.

When we first launched WAM in September 2020, I had no idea what direction it would take or if it would even make it past the second or third edition.

A print magazine in a world so dominated by digital media, dedicated to sharing the stories of physical crafts—it felt like a risky endeavour.

The project was born from my own struggles as a maker, so I faced a lot of pushback from people questioning why I would want to start a craft magazine, especially when both print and crafts can feel underappreciated in today’s technology-driven world.

The reason those tags mean so much to us is that they show us the impact our work has. We’re sharing the stories of makers from ALL over the world, and it reminds me how lucky we are to do this.

Our job is such a privilege—we get to meet incredible people and support them in ways that matter. ✊

People who don’t quite understand our purpose often ask, "What do you get out of it?" The truth is, we don’t make a lot of money. We earn just enough to cover our expenses and a little bit more, but all of it gets reinvested into the business to help it grow and improve.

After returning from Australia this year, we hit a really tough patch and wondered if we needed a Plan B.

We were unsure how we could sustain another print run and still pay our mortgage. But through all the ups and downs, we have learned just how incredibly special We Are Makers is to Jack and I - we truly love what we do.

Like many of you, we pour everything into our work, devoting countless unpaid hours to keep it going, especially in times like these when it feels like a challenge.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who supports our print magazine, subscribes to it, reads our newsletters, engages with us online, and interacts with us on social media. Your support means the world to us.

As we approach the new year, Jack and I have big plans to keep pushing forward in this space, doing things the way we believe is right, learning every day, and staying ahead of the curve. We want to help as much as we can.

Right now, Jack and I are living separately (myself in Scotland and Jack 400 miles away in England, UK) as he works full-time to save and invest in the growth of WAM, while I keep everything running behind the scenes.

It’s been a lot of late nights working remotely and collaborating via video calls. It’s been tough, both personally and professionally. No one wants to be apart from their loved ones for long stretches, but we’re making this sacrifice to give WAM everything we’ve got for the years ahead.

So, once again, a huge thank you to all of you who are on this journey with us. We’re excited to take WAM to new heights, and we hope you’ll be here, loving what we do every step of the way! 🙌🏻

Kate x