The Root of “Amateur” is “To Love”: Dale Dougherty Chats with Etsy

The Root of “Amateur” is “To Love”: Dale Dougherty Chats with Etsy

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In this great little Etsy Q&A, MAKE Founder and Publisher Dale Dougherty chats about the evolution of MAKE, resourcefulness, and how making is a sign of caring for others:

That’s really the heart of what led me to focus on “amateurs” at Maker Faire and with the magazine. The root of the word amateur is “to love.” I wanted to focus on people who really love what they are doing and making. I wanted to find that place and stick with it.

Fun fact: Etsy and MAKE were both founded the same year — 2005.

Etsy interviewer Karen Brown asked the MAKE crew for favorite Etsy objects: MAKE Sales and Marketing Coordinator Gillian BenAry likes this 6 Pack Frame Cinch.
Etsy interviewer Karen Brown asked the MAKE crew for their favorite Etsy objects: MAKE Sales and Marketing Coordinator Gillian BenAry chose this 6 Pack Frame Cinch.

One reason I love working at MAKE is hearing Dale talk about the maker movement. His passion is evidenced to me by the fact that I never hear him use canned taglines or tired marketing speak. Interacting with and connecting the amazing makers in this world fuels him, and his enthusiasm is contagious.

A couple of my favorite quotes from this interview:

• “When you put passionate people together, you have a different view of mankind. You see that people are generous, wonderful, and creative. That’s what I think is core in all this, that DIY in its broadest context is a kind of social glue and an instigator of community.”

• “If there is something I could wish for America, it’s that we would restore resourcefulness as a middle class virtue.”

Read the interview in its entirety here.

While we’re on the subject of Maker Faire… There are seven days left to buy tickets to Maker Faire Bay Area at Early Bird discount prices. Be smart: pick yours up today! Ticket prices go up on March 15.

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"To oppose something is to maintain it." –Ursula Le Guin

Currently: NEO.LIFE Alum: Instructables and MAKE

View more articles by Laura Cochrane

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