culture, and finally to equip them with social and economic toolkits of community empowerment.”13 Although it is not an easy task, Asli Kıyak Ingin is a Visionary and Advocate doing her best to help the Sishane region protect the infrastructure of the existing community by bringing it into a modern context. In contrast to the traditional crafts community of Sishane which is struggling with the change of times, DIY, or ‘Do It Yourself’ communities are a different type of community that began within a modern context. They are world wide
The act of making and community
government), to help them gain self-confidence via learning the production
communities made up of numerous local pockets which are connected to larger communities through the Internet and localized organized events. The skill level of the people involved is not the most important aspect of a DIY community; being connected through the act of making is what is important. Websites like Etsy or Instructables are two examples of a major platforms for DIY. Etsy is a website much like Ebay, where people can buy and sell things. However on Etsy only hand made objects are for sale. The Instructables website consists of huge amounts of online instructions on how to build anything from a camera rig to repairing a hole in your wall. Books like ‘Handmade Nation’ or ‘Knitting for Good’ are also influential literature that were born out of this movement. The core mentality behind these communities is well expressed in Amy Carlton and Cinnamon Cooper’s Craftifesto. Carlton and Cooper are the founders of the DIY Trunk Show in Chicago in 2003. Craftifesto: The Power is in Your Hands. Craft is Powerful: We want to show the depth & breadth of the crafting world. Anything you want you can probably get from a person in your community. Craft is Personal: To know something is made by hand, by someone who cares that you like it, makes that object much more enjoyable. Craft is Political: We’re trying to change the world. We want everyone to rethink corporate culture and consumerism.
Craft is Possible: Everybody can create something.14 In general nowadays DIY communities are working better than traditional crafts communities on many levels. Of course we must take into account that coming from contemporary culture, DIY communities have an inherent adaptability to the modern context of culture and society. But the reason behind why DIY communities work better is that they function within a structured community consisting of Visionaries, Advocates, Specialists and Creatives. Clearly stated in the Craftifesto, they have an ideal of empowerment through the act of making, and a strong set of clear goals which every participant can identify with. They utilize modern mediums such as the Internet and SNS services to connect, share and evoke interest.
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