You are supporting someone who is generating funds doing what s/he loves. So many jobs drain us and sadden us. Creating items out of passion for the craft is a life-affirming alternative.
Handmade items are almost always built to last much longer than those you buy in stores, which are seen more as disposable. An independent artist wants you to be happy with your purchase and to wear it/use it/admire it for years and years to come.
You are buying an item that was handmade with love. If it's a custom item, it was made just for you. That's magickal.
I never, to the very best of my knowledge, use animal-derived materials in my pieces. I make a serious effort to avoid any materials that were manufactured under unfair conditions. And I use recycled materials in some of my projects, saving previously-loved fibers from a premature disposal.
