The question is a reasonable one. As a verb, "to make" is pretty broad and can apply to almost anything. So what, then, is a "capital-M" Maker? To answer that question, we need to look at the trend that has been sweeping the nation--and the world--for the last several years. That trend is known as the Maker Movement.

(To read the whole first chapter, click here! )

Mark Hatch, CEO of TechShop (which now has a location in Chandler!), wrote eloquently about the principles behind this movement in his book The Maker Movement Manifesto. Here is the first "tenant" of making:

Making is fundamental to what it means to be human. We must make, create, and express ourselves to feel whole. There is something unique about making physical things. These things are like little pieces of us and seem to embody portions of our souls.

To make is human. And while the Maker Movement gained much of its momentum from the popularization of new technologies, like 3D-printing, CNC machines and laser cutters, it embraces personal creation of all kinds. It also encourages the formation of Maker communities, where people can work together, share ideas, and gain inspiration from each other's creations.

At the SWMF, we believe that everyone-- from cooks to welders, from professionals to garage tinkerers, from artists to scientists -- can be a maker! Come to the Southwest Maker Fest and join the Maker Movement! Learn, experience, create, and share!