It was roughly three years ago that I got the vision for All American Maker, to start a podcast and possibly offer some merch to go along with it. To me it was about the idea that I could create awareness for people who create incredible things around the US. Little did I know, it would become what AAM is today!
As I developed my vision, as it changed, unfolded, and started to take shape. I realized that I needed some core values for how I developed these products. I didn’t just want to create for the sake of creating. I didn’t want to make something simply to make a profit. Most of the products you see today in AAM, were created because I wanted or needed something for myself. So I would develop a design, or bring an idea to life and make it something I could share with others.
One of the main reasons I love to work with makers and artisans to create high quality items, is we live in such a throw-away society. I touched on this briefly in my stories recently. We live in a world now, where quality is no longer a core value. Cheep, easy to get, and disposable are hallmarks of this new generation of consumers. But for me, living my life, I wanted to buy something once, and never buy it again. I want a coffee mug that is of the highest quality, that I value and invest in, because I know as long as I don’t break it, it will last me the rest of my life. I wanted a pocket knife that wasn’t $7 at a big box store, but would literally ride or die in my pocket! If I was going to buy a wallet, I wanted it to cover all of the functions I needed, and literally last me forever.
This is what I want for all of you, who support my business and purchase AAM goods. This whole thing is about more than just a flashy shiny item. It’s about sustaining our lives and living with quality, not quantity in mind.
Photo by @m.b.journal
Photo by @m.b.journal
In this day and age, it is so easy to run to one of the 17 dollar stores in your neighborhood and grab a cheep mug. Use it for a month, then throw it away because it breaks, or isn’t appealing anymore. I used to buy mugs all the time from different places I traveled to. I would use them for a month or two, then move on to the next mug I found. The problem with this, is after 30 years, I had over 120 coffee mugs! 99% of them I never used!
Photo by @m.b.journal
Photo by @m.b.journal
In the summer of 2019, my wife and I decided to take 30 days and travel throughout the west. While we were in Salt Lake City, Utah, I visited my friend Jessica Thesinge who owns Mean Mugs Pottery (Mugs with a Meaning). I had placed an order for 50 mugs a few months earlier, and had the opportunity to pick them up from her while visiting. But it was incredible, because she walked me through the entire process of how she makes her mugs, and showed me the amount of effort, time, work, and skill that went into making each one! Since that moment, I have never bought, purchased, and consumed another coffee mug agin. These mugs were literally the last mugs I would ever buy!
Photo by @m.b.journal
Photo by @m.b.journal
What I want to give you as a takeaway from me saying any of this, is think about the things you purchase. Maybe this is the reason you got into EDC in the first place. To carry the highest quality items in your pocket with you on a daily basis. But look at all of this as an investment. If you took a metal spoon with you to work, instead of using a plastic one every day, that would equal an entire trash bag of plastic after a year.
Moving forward I am committing to use AAM and do my part to create a more sustainable future. I don’t have all the answers, but I know with your help, ideas, support, and purchases, we can all make even a small dent in preserving what little we have left of this beautiful planet we live on!
Thanks for reading, and a huge thank you to @m.b.journal for all of these incredible photos of the AAM pottery mug! If you want to purchase one of these beautiful mugs, or any of my other products, ill leave a link below!
