The picture above displays a father and daughter in the great depression at a local fair. Many individuals do not think of the 1930s as being in color, since there aren’t many color photographs of this era.  Life during the great depression was in shades of gray. One needs only to look at the father’s hands in this picture to know how hard people worked and how challenging life was. Jobs were hard to find, money was in short supply and life was overall tough. And now, nearly 80 years after this photo was taken, America is facing the possibility of yet another depression.

Let’s be honest: the stock market is in a state of crisis. Journalists this morning uttered the expression “Black Friday” as the Dow Jones dropped below 9,000 points.  Markets around the world are slowing down, and many economy experts claim that this is the start of a worldwide recession, maybe even a worldwide depression.

The truth is, no matter what these researchers and journalists claim, no one knows for sure what will happen.  People are beginning to panic, and they question what, if anything, they can do to better survive the recession.

To help our weak economy, Americans need to invest in purchasing handmade goods from local sellers.  When you decide to buy handmade, you’re aiding another struggling individual, rather than a rich overseas manufacturing company.  Your money is going to help another person, who is facing the same kind of recession problems that you are.

And when you buy from local crafters, your money is going back into our economy, which helps to make it stronger. Don’t send your money to other countries by purchasing badly made overpriced goods. Choose instead to invest it here, where it is very much needed. One of the reasons our economy has is slowing down is because too many people are purchasing products from China and India, instead of using their money to aid sellers in the states.

If you choose to buy handmade products over mass produced ones, you’re not only helping local citizens, you’re receiving a high quality product at a lower price.  You get a one-of-a-kind personalized product for a more affordable price than a poorly-made mass-produced item.

Americans survived the great depression of the 1930s by taking up crafting. They made their own clothing, their own accessories, their own furniture, and countless other items needed to get through life. They understood the importance of helping other Americans. They supported each other, and they supported local sellers. They helped other citizens, and with the financial boost from WWII, The United States was able to come out of the shades of gray and into living color.  So learn from their example, buy handmade goods and support local artists.

 -Sara