What is a Maker? You Are
So often, when discussing a Maker Faire, or talking about the maker movement, we hear the question: “What is a Maker?” The answers to this question are extremely varied and broad, as they should be, because there is no single definition of a “Maker”. That would exclude too many people. Humans are, by their very nature, Makers and the movement is one of celebration. We celebrate our humanity by rejoicing in the creative making that our planetary cohabitants partake in.

Adam Savage from the famous Discover channel hit series Mythbusters worded this in a very eloquent way “Humans do two things that make us unique from all other animals; we use tools and we tell stories. And when you make something, you’re doing both at once.” That is a beautiful sentiment. Not only have we seen this in action at Maker Faires, but also in every school lab, makerspace, and workshop we’ve visited. We love hearing people’s stories in the form of a verbal tale, in pictures and video, or even in the form of a tutorial.

Maker Faire originated in 2006 in the San Francisco Bay Area as a project of the editors of Make: magazine. It has since grown into a significant worldwide network of both flagship and independently-produced events. Read more on Maker Faire history, the Maker Movement, as well as how to start a Maker Faire or a School Maker Faire where you live.