We were so happy to feature Kelly who presented her project titled, Handmade in Norway, at our event on April 2nd!  Read more about Kelly’s project below:

Project Description

Handmade in Norway is primarily a Facebook group. The group was founded by myself just 10 short weeks ago, but has grown rapidly to consist of over 700 creative people.

The purpose of the group is to provide a space where the creative population of Norway can share ideas, ask for advice and of course promote their work.

Handmade in Norway is also present on Instagram – Where I regularly promote the work posted within the group. I am a very active group administrator, eager to encourage and support and promote people along their creative path.

The members of this group are wonderfully supportive to each other too. It is not uncommon for some members to contact me first with images of their work. They might be unsure of whether they should post it within the group. Maybe it’s not good enough, right? That’s something I hear quite a lot. But after a little encouragement they do post the images publicly in the group – And they ALWAYS get kind and supportive feedback from their fellow members. We all need a little confidence boost every once in a while – That is why I stated Handmade in Norway, and that’s why I love working with the people that make the group what it is.

I see the group evolving from a Facebook group to much much more. I organised a competition recently. The brief was to create an item that represented Autumn, be it photography, a piece of jewellery, a painting, the brief was open. We had some very beautiful and creative submissions!

I am also in the process of arranging a Christmas Market. The deadline is tight, but I might just pull it off with a measure of good fortune. There is of course, a lot of support from the group, and many offers of assistance to help.

Handmade in Norway was my idea, but it is not my group. It belongs to, and is the sum of it’s members and their individual talents. With that as a starting point the possibilities are endless!

 

Why does this idea matter to you and to the city of Oslo?

I am also a creative soul who has from time to time felt that my work was not good enough. Maybe other illustrators are better than me, maybe their style is more commercial, maybe they will get more assignments than me. However, as the saying goes – It’s not what you know but who you know.

Handmade in Norway is a place for people who create to network, to seek advice, to promote their work and to support one another. This is important to me personally and important to the group members, and it is important to the creative community of Norway. We do not judge one another, rather encourage and inspire each other to keep creating.

My dream is to hold exhibitions, markets, maybe even create pop/up boutiques to sell the wonderful items being created – To promote the talent and create revenue, encourage talents to blossom instead of being forgotten. I think this is important to the people of Oslo and the people of Norway as a whole.

I hope that you can sense my enthusiasm and find this project interesting enough to give the group a little help along the way.

 

How will you use this microfunding?

As I think I have clarified already, I am dreaming big with this project. But all big things start small. The micro-grant would be used to continue the promotion of the group and it’s members. I would like to begin with regular exhibitions. So the grant would certainly help to make this a reality. So far initiatives like competitions and the Christmas market are funded by me, and me alone. It would be wonderful to have some financial buffer to help make my dreams, and the groups member’s dreams, come true!

 

What elements of community or sustainability will be addressed with your idea?

There are many gifted people that lack the confidence to show their creations. There are many beautiful creations left unseen. It’s not just about the work itself, but the person behind it, and helping them to find a way to incorporate their talents in to their lives. I wish to help people build upon their ‘creative confidence’ and this, I believe will help boost their confidence in other areas too.

Handcrafts also need to be supported and promoted. The feel of something handmade is unique. Not mass produced or made of plastic. You can literally see the hours spent lovingly crafting each item. You can feel the love and passion that brought that item from just an idea, to being something special and unique.

I believe that this group is becoming an important networking tool for many members. Providing both an audience and a support network. These are both very important elements necessary for the creative community, and the sustainability of the Handcrafts vs mass production as a whole.

 

How do you contact the project?  Visit them at the following links: