Why Are We Here?

Photo by ~HeartNexus

Nope, I’m not going to tackle our purpose for existing. Sorry to disappoint.

But I do want to share something else with you: my vision for {re}made by hand.

Why I Started {re}made by hand

I started this site because I realized:

Life is short. This is it. And the moments we allow to slip by unnoticed are all we have in which to make a difference — to ourselves, to others, to the world. There are things I want to do, things I’ve been putting off or avoiding or scared to try. I don’t want to look back at the end of my life and see decades littered with regrets. I want to start doing the things I’ve always meant to do and being the person I want to be.

I quickly realized I am not the only one at this point, with these beliefs, ready to step up and start living.

And thus, {re}made by hand was born. It’s based on the concept of remakeability — that you can take the raw materials of your life, your experiences, your personality and abilities, and use them to remake yourself into the version of yourself you want to be.

And I bet you’re here because some part of this philosophy resonates with you.

My Vision for This Community

I have a vision for {re}made by hand of a place where remakeables around the world can gather, share stories, inspire and be inspired, encourage and be encouraged. I want all to feel welcome, to feel supported, to feel accepted. I want us to walk our separate paths toward our dreams together.

{re}made by hand will always be about the journey. I will never be the expert, dispensing advice from my ivory tower. To do so would mean I’ve stopped growing, stopped evolving — and that is something I never intend to do.

I want to get to know you, through comments and emails and social media, if you want that, too. (I’m friendly, I promise!) I want you to get to know one another, too, by conversing in the comments and reaching out as you feel comfortable. There are some amazing people in this fledgling community already.

I hope this vision jives with the reasons you stop by this corner if the Internet. I hope you make it your own. I hope we can build this community together.

What I’m Working On

I’ve been working on some things I hope will help to build our remakeable community, and I’ll keep working! Here’s what I’ve been up to:

A Newsletter!

There is now a {re}made by hand newsletter! Think of it less as “tips and tricks” and more “emails from a friend,” a way to keep in touch. I share my thoughts and reflections, things a little less structured and sometimes more personal than what I share on the blog.

It goes out on Mondays and is 100% free. You can sign up here, or use the form in the sidebar.

A Better Comment System!

As an experiment, I’ve installed a system called Livefyre. You’ll see it when you get to the end of the post. My intent in doing so is to foster conversation.

If you’re unfamiliar with Livefyre, here’s what’s cool. You can still comment with your name and email, but now you can use Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or LinkedIn to log in as well. You can also sign up for a free Livefyre account, which you can use on any site with comments run by Livefyre. That lets you choose to receive an email when someone replies to your comment or mentions you in a comment.

I would love to hear your feedback!

A Mystery Project!

And for a little intrigue, I’ll tell you that I have another project in the works that you will hear about in the upcoming months!

Your Turn

This {re}made by hand community is yours as much as it is mine. If you have suggestions or feedback, please get in touch! We can only make this community soar together.

I’d also love it if you would introduce yourself, either in the comments or by any of the methods available in the sidebar. And if you know someone who belongs in our community, would you invite them to stop by? Let’s get this thing rolling!

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