Whether you see your candlemaking as an art, a craft, a science or a creative spiritual act... no matter. It's always a good idea to keep an eye out on what special month and week designations are happening. Journalists – especially those in local newspapers, magazines and television stations – are always on the lookout for local tie-ins to relate these events to the people and businesses in the regions they serve.
So be on the alert all this month for opportunities to showcase your Chandler Guild member business as part of National Crafts Month. Too often the word 'crafts' is associated with simplistic, do-it-yourself hobby activities. This domain of crafting is all well and good. But we largely forget that most manufacturing of products before the Industrial Revolution was home-based and done through craft-scale production processes.
One of the most famous artistic eras that tied the creative arts to crafts-scale manufacturing was the Arts and Crafts Movement at the turn of the 20th Century. While known today for the rare and treasured artifacts that survive, we forget that the movement was not just an aesthetic one in the area of design. The Arts and Crafts Movement was as much about creating job opportunities for women and immigrants at a time when work for these folks was limited.
So put on your thinking caps and chase down your local journalists and media producers. Let them know that your soybean wax candle business is as much a part of the (as and) crafts community as anything... and if fact, your business celebrates the long history that unites craft production with home-based and small business!
If you have already or do get any press or media coverage along these lines, please tell us about it and provide pointers so we can all learn from your efforts and success.