Sequestered away on the third floor of King Library, seemingly unnoticed by the student population at large, lies the Makerspace: a palace of arts and crafts, a cathedral to creativity and arguably the sole thing keeping me sane.
Sure, it’s an objectively chaotic space — the scent of slightly burned plastic is perpetually emanating from the 3D printers, the tables are usually covered in someone else's sticky vinyl shreds and the embroidery needles are never where I last saw them — but it’s mine.
It should be yours, too.
On a broad level, crafting is good for you. One study from the National Library of Medicine shows that 75% of a survey sample said their cortisol levels were lowered after making art. It creates spaces for self-expression and can be tailored to any age and ability. It’s also a natural, human imperative: We’ve been crafting since the dawn of the Anthropocene, from cave paintings to mask making, and will probably keep on crafting right until the end.
For me, the Makerspace (and art in general) allows me to make mistakes — to be absolutely terrible at something — in a consequence-free environment.
Despite the hours I have poured into the Makerspace, I am still quite terrible at crafting. The designs I embroider are crooked, my paintings are abstract at best and no one who saw my clay creations would ever assume they’re functional.
But I’m not being judged for it, and in turn, I’ve decided not to judge myself.
So far, my Makerspace exploits include a 3D printed slug, a upcycled hat, 12 clay magnets, a garland, seven pipe cleaner flowers, two mini canvases and five hand-embroidered, transfer-vinyl garnished hoodies. In total, I have probably spent well over 80 hours in the Makerspace.
Already, my friends and I have planned future projects for next year, from ironic buttons to holiday decor for our new house. But the sheer variety isn’t even the best part. The best part would be that the Makerspace is completely free for Miami University students.
Sure, you have a capped allowance of fresh vinyl sheets, plastic filament and buttons for the semester, but it’s very hard to reach those caps. And even if you do (last year's Christmas gifts blew through my vinyl allotment), there are always the scrap piles: extra bits and bobs that you can use to your heart’s content.
But maybe you're a perfectionist, like me, and you have creation ideas above your skill level. There are some things, like gifts or decor, that should look perfect, if not at least passable.
The Makerspace has a small army of trained staff members, a mix of full-fledged adults and students. In my experience, they have all been kind, capable and non-judgemental, especially when I ask them to explain the Cricut for the seventh time in one trip.
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They’re basically the fairy godmothers of Miami, turning my Pinterest board into real life.
And yet, with all of these incredible resources available (for free!), the Makerspace seems barely used. I’m sitting there as I write this, and so far, only two of the four students are using the supplies, and I’ve been here for two hours.
While I know this space has higher traffic closer to Parents’ Weekends and senior-year bar crawls, I wish the Makerspace was used by more people beyond coming for mandatory class projects and the occasional last-minute T-shirt.
While a part of me wants to gatekeep this space (if the cute fabric scraps start disappearing, I will regret this article until the end of time), I want to share the joy of it so much more. There are so many incredible projects and hobbies just waiting to be discovered, hidden away in this cozy, chaotic, wonderful room.
Use the Makerspace. Make it yours.
Parker Green is a sophomore English and strategic communication major, whose greatest wish is to add more hours in a day. When she’s not doing school, extracurriculars or tour guiding, she’s usually exploring places to eat and generally being a menace to her friends.
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