Notes from March 2021 meeting of Pueblo Makes

Announcements

  • Pueblo Makes honored Sharon Rice as an Outstanding Woman, in the Library’s annual program: “As makerspace librarian at the Pueblo Library, Sharon has involved thousands of Pueblo residents of all ages in making. Her enthusiasm, her welcoming attitude, and her willingness to teach and learn are infectious. Sharon is an inspiration for Pueblo makers.”
  • The Southern Colorado Regional Quilt Show will be April 1st, 2nd & 3rd and the following week, 5th-10th at El Pueblo History Museum, 10-4 daily. We’re hoping to show 125-140 quilts. Masks and social distancing are required. Any questions, call Holly Vigil @ 303-919-6771.
  • Michelle from Ruby’s Market in Denver introduced herself; see https://rubysmarketdenver.com/, “Ruby’s Market is a multi-cultural artisan and food destination, incubating refugee, immigrant & indigenous entrepreneurs and supporting local businesses.” She is reaching out to help makers connect with customers. Contact her if you are interested in possible collaboration. Michelle@rubysmarketdenver.com.
  • Pueblo Food Project’s is partnering with the Pueblo Art Guild on a community food art show and on March 20th 1-3 p.m. they will host a live cheese carving featuring local sculptor Cristine Boyd from All Clay. Also, they will have a People’s Choice Award winner announcement from the displayed artwork.
  • Samantha Printy is the new manager of the store Creative Reuse of Pueblo, which will open at the beginning of April in the lobby of the Arts Alliance at 107 S Grand.
  • Jane said she forwarded Russ’s email about a potential maker space. Russ is talking with the Arts Alliance about using some of their space for the Pueblo Woodturners, but would like some partners in renting the space. Contact him at russnjen687@comcast.net if you are interested.
  • The new food market, Sunnyside Market on East 8th, needs volunteers during open hours and during inventory hours. You can volunteer online at  https://sunnysidemarket.org/
  • Added after the meeting: The grand opening of Designs by LaDoris will be Friday, 19 March, 5 PM, at Project Inspire Cooperative, 2828 Granada Blvd, Bldg 2.

Jane said she plans that the April meeting will be used for reports from groups on our projects.

Paula Robben, life coach, uses a program called Dream Builder to engage the left and right sides of the brain. She is also a business consultant for the SBDC, which has a great deal of help bur businesses. Classes in ecommerce start this week. See https://www.southerncoloradosbdc.org/  

While every successful business begins as a startup, not everyone wants to be a business. Paula said this session would help create a larger picture of what is possible for Pueblo Makes. Paula asked Jane if she has a vision for Pueblo Makes and Jane said a billboard on I-25 that says Pueblo Makes.

Paula said that life coaches and makers are creators. “I make people’s problems more solvable.” She urged us to respect others’ dreams. She said she was driving us to take a bigger leap.

She showed us a map of Pueblo’s Entrepreneurship Ecosystem. Pueblo has a lot of people who want to help. Pueblo Makes was a startup. It now has a website (pueblomakes.org) with direct links to resources for entrepreneurs. She urged everyone to send information to Jane (janemfraserphd@gmail.com) or Zach (zachmcollier@gmail.com) to be listed in the directory of makers. Every business goes through stages from Pre-Startup through Startup and Growth.

The quality of our life is determined by the quality of the questions we ask. Instead of focusing on, for example, how do I pay the rent, think in bigger questions.  What is the future potential and the highest vision for Pueblo Makes?

She reviewed the history of Thoreau’s experiment in living in the woods, resulting in the book Walden. Thoreau urges us to advance confidently in the direction of a dream. Put your trust in moving forward.

Paula showed us Time magazine covers describing problems that the world faces today, except that the covers were all from the 1970s, showing that we are still focused on those same problems. The problem is in the thinking about the problem. We need to define and design a dream. Some of the issue is marketing and some is our own personal perception of what is out there and how we are being perceived.

She asked us to contribute (in the chat box) one thing you long for in Pueblo Makes group:

  • Resource sharing/collaboration
  • Every member is thriving financially.
  • More people involved in Pueblo Makes
  • Finding my place
  • Reimagining the definition of a maker

She then asked us to contribute a discontent about Pueblo Makes:

  • Silo building
  • Preconceived ideas
  • Stereotypes
  • Lack of awareness of makers movement
  • People creating new organizations instead of working with existing ones.
  • Messaging

Discontents tells us what we do want. Instead of asking what we can’t do ask what are the things we CAN do? Take steps to move forward. Everything is created twice, first in thought, then physically.

What are 3 problems you want corrected with the maker economy within our community.

  • Change more zoning
  • Spaces where makes can work together and share.
  • Need circular economy thinking and waste streams recaptured or upcycled
  • Lack of apprenticeship programs
  • More access to STEM/STEAM learning
  • Lack of money
  • Spaces to work together, recycling/upcycling, getting youth involved
  • Makers appropriately
  • More business planning support
  • Strategic partnership building even during start-up phase

Next Paula asked us to focus on values. What is most important to Pueblo Makes?

  • Cooperation
  • Inclusivity
  • Innovation
  • Local
  • Helps makers become successful
  • Collaboration
  • Inclusion, availability, recognition
  • Creativity
  • Support
  • Integrity, honesty
  • Sharing
  • Diversity

She explained emotion as E(Energy in)motion. Most of us try to stop emotions, but emotions are a guidance system. If we are aware of them, we can give them names and address them. I am giving you permission to dream without limitations. Don’t judge anything coming up in your mind. Don’t evaluate in your mind. Who is going to pay for the billboard? Don’t ask all those questions. Just think what you want.

What is the greatest purpose for Pueblo Makes in this community?

  • Helping kids keep their creativity.
  • Relationship building
  • Support people in their creative endeavors
  • Promotion of the abundance of crafts in Pueblo
  • Operating as a platform of supportive services for Pueblo’s Makers and Artisans!
  • To recreate the Mini-Maker fair grounds experience that changed my whole perspective on interactive STEM learning and cross pollinate people’s ideas
  • Creativity to be recognized
  • Active Support, encouragement, mentoring, and facilitating
  • Create a sense of community that nurtures the soul
  • Constant education and networking value 🙂
  • IDEAS TO ACTION

Pueblo has been working on getting more jobs since the steel mill closed and many have done great work. This is a beautiful community of people who really care. We can grow jobs for makers.

Technology + Creativity = Innovation.

With creativity and a positive mind set, you can change your focus.

She next asked us: Why does that greater purpose matter to you?

  • Talk with no outcome is exhausting. Ideas to action matters because things are happening and getting done.
  • I emphasized the kids, because I think we turn off their creativity instead of growing it – and they are the future.
  • WHY – my girls and I joined 4-H after that event and experienced more life-changing skill building maker’s education – and exposed my kids to future job ideas they would have never thought of
  • Fruitful relationships that have helped to shape my direction in the last few months. I think this can be true for others also.
  • Creativity is movement and life
  • To be able to provide active solutions for people who say “I want to make or do x,y, or z but I don’t know how to get started… get supplies… find funding…”
  • Because creative, entrepreneurial, community-minded people need a universe of support and a sense of belonging.
  • Novelty factor was so amazing and memorable! mixing in ART with the STEM thinking, so many examples
  • Promotion of the craft to younger people.
  • Smile on a kids face
  • It’s all about evolution of  collective consciousness
  • Yes, succession planning within certain crafts

Taking baby steps is progress. Imagine this movement or this group. Would it look like a building? An event? Successful businesses? Or all of the above? Our dream should give Pueblo more life, align with our core values, cause the group to grow. We can look for help outside ourselves and find the good for others in this dream. This work done today can help us create a strong vision, initial plan, and steps to take for Pueblo Makes. This work helps to prioritize. The collective during this time is helping to see the bigger picture. What matters to everyone.

What is one step you are willing to take?

  • To be present and not just conscious
  • Collate this discussion for further discussion – and to guide our actions.
  • Form collaborations
  • Learn more about what it takes to go from ideas to business
  • Participating in specific groups
  • Yes, of course I want to be a player – that’s why I am here. 😉 I am building unique educational opportunities and my own business plans to support makers
  • Continue to show up and hear what is needed – continue to research new paths to success to share.
  • Offer mentorship
  • I’m new to you all but am here in the spirit of collaboration!

Paula again urged us to use the SBDC for help in starting a business. Her personal website is paularobben.com, and she can be reached at paula.paularobben.com or 719-250-1324. Paula’s associate Susie (who joined us from Virginia) urged us to look at many sources for resources.  In the for profit world, many are more than willing to share, at low or no cost, equipment, expertise, and volunteer hours. They will be doing personal vision workshops on 7 and 8 April 7 and 8; see https://paularobben.com/vision-workshop/. They also offer “Talk to the coach,” ½ hour free consultation.

Gregory, who has spent about one-third of his life in Japan, noted that in Japanese society, a group will spend years building consensus and may have a 100 year plan. The American approach is to define a mission in a rush, but then fun into problems in implementing. He recalled the first Pueblo Makes meeting at CSU-Pueblo, where no one owned the room. Then it is the responsibility of the collective mindset. We haven’t had necessity to come up with mission. We chug away. That is consensus building. COVID has slowed us down. He expressed the hope that we not return to the old normal, but reimagine. He said the Pueblo question, where did you go to high school, should be followed by the question, what do you make, which catches people off guard and makes them think.  

Jane commented on the growth in the group, with about 120 on list including 40 who were at any meeting in last year. Some of you keep coming back to the meetings.

Sharon said she loves this group because we are collaborators. She has been able to hire about 5 or 6 people from this group. Other maker groups give lip service, but don’t want to help others grow. She said Pueblo Makes is her library of people. Gregory said that librarians are social entrepreneurs.

Elliott asked Paula how she makes problems more solvable. Paula and Susie emphasized asking the right questions. Susie said that people spend too much time problem solving. One should think for 55 minutes about the right question, then 5 minutes on the right answer, but we have been taught to do the opposite.

Jane said that Paula had asked us great questions, that she will collate the responses, and use the idea to help Pueblo Makes move forward.