A community of obsessed makers: My day at Maker Faire 2012

Published on: May 25, 2012Author: Amy CollierComment: 0

I boarded the bike car of the 9:30 am Caltrain and ran into a wall of people and bikes. Not everyone was headed to Maker Faire that morning (some were headed to Bay to Breakers or the SF Giants game), but most people in the car were buzzing about the premier tinkering event of the year. But though we were crammed shoulder-to-shoulder in a hot train car, the vibe among riders was pleasant, even helpful, as we made our way to Maker Faire.

This excitement and pleasantness continued throughout the day at Maker Faire. Within the swarms of thousands in attendance, I found people to be generally kind to each other, mostly respectful, and often collaborative. My hunch is that collaboration and respect are in the DNA of Maker Faire, which brings makers, tinkerers, artists, and programmers together to showcase products and lead learning and making activities. At Maker Faire, we respect the 8-year-old who solders a micro-circuit board in the same way that we respect the “Vectorist” who designs and prints 3D models. There is something about making that levels the playing and learning field. Making rewards typically-unrewarded behaviors like not being able to sit still or needing to touch every item on the table. Making rewards both people who follow the rules and those who don’t follow the rules. Making, when mixed with passion for what you are making, can lead to a sense of accomplishment and a desire to share with others what you’ve made.

That’s what Adam Savage talked about in his Maker Faire presentation. He noted the importance of excitement and engagement— he called it obsession— in making. He talked about how he has spent hundreds of hours making things for himself, his family and friends, and his work, because he makes things that he can’t not make. He argues that we should make because we are obsessed with something or because we need to express something. And finding the space and freedom to make in that way can lead to “an unrivaled sense of joy.” That’s why we make. Better yet, when we are making things because we are obsessed with them, we “are more likely to get finished…more likely to get through that point in every project when that thing you’re building is kicking your butt and making you really mad because you’re failing. That final goal will carry you past that.” (excerpt from Adam’s presentation)

So, that’s what I found at my first Maker Faire: A community of people who are obsessed with making things and who respect the creative products of other makers. That obsession manifested in projects ranging from creatures made with scrap materials, to underwater roving machines, to 3D objects, to grenade-toting gnomes, to Lego cities. The obsession, the passion, also manifested in the conversations I heard about making. I heard a co-worker from Stanford get downright giddy about making a sprinkler controller that could be managed via a mobile app. I heard statements like, “does someone over here have any duct tape? I need to make a flower with this device.”

Next year, I plan to attend Maker Faire with my son, who will be four years old by then. I can’t wait to see what stirs his curiosity, creativity, and obsession. And I can’t wait to see and share what we’ll make.

In case you missed Maker Faire this year, here are some pics from my favorite exhibits:

A kid controlling electronic art