Craft domination at a newsstand near you

We all want to believe we are individual

We all want to believe we had the idea first

We all want to believe we are acting solely as a result of our wishes

 

Unfortunately we also know that there are super duper clever people and organisations out there with the skills to manipulate our every move. I'm concerned that I've been tricked....

 

Now I have to admit that I am a bit of a magazine addict. I love seeing them lined up on the newsstand, brimming with possibility, bursting with ideas and calling to me to take them home to dream of that aspirational life style. I've been through many phases of magazines

- cosmopolitan etc in my late teens / early twenties

- vogue, in style etc in my affluent mid / late twenties

- red, ideal home and various other lifestyle magazines in my thirties although my purchasing is now only once of twice a year

I've dabbled in crafty magazines across this entire time, but had always stuggled in having to choose a specific craft - I may not want just cross stitch or just crochet. Until recently i had to choose, but the relatively recent launch of Mollie Makes which offers lifestyle, crafts as well as a cute project each month is exactly what I wanted and made me think someone was listening to my cries. I loved it for a few issues but was quickly put off by the £5 price tag. I've watched as the Mollie Makes empire has exploded, there are baking and home editions now, so there is clearly a market and people willing to pay, they have even expanded into a weekly iPad craft edition called Gathered

 

Just before christmas there was another like minded magazine launch - Homemaker magazine, a beautiful magazing packed with practical ideas and step by step instructions to making household items which are really useful, but again it has a hefty price tag of £5 a month

 

It was at the Spring Knitting and Stitching show last week that it really hit me, the launch of another craft magazine - Crafty. Really? Is there room in this already super crowded market for another monthly publication? I was frankly amazed. And yes it matched the others in price!

 

Of course I will be avidly reading all of these editions, purchased at show prices, for research purposes :)

 

But these launches have got me thinking. I'd like to believe that I've been enjoying my crafts recently as I've got my life settled and I'm picking up something I have loved for many years but I'm starting to worry that somehow I've been caught up in the media frenzy and am merely another sucker who is tempted by the magazine at the newsstand.

 

Who is buying the magazines every month? I wonder if you pay for these magazines (£5 x 12months x 3magazines) at £180 a year do you have time to be creative? and can you afford to be creative?

 

Do you read any craft magazines? What are your thoughts?

 

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