What Do Trends Mean to You? by Bernadette Finnerty

Trends mean different things to different people. Demographic and consumer trends may mean nothing to a studio artist who creates one-of-a-kind pieces. But there are many who work at a production level that requires the artist to at least pay attention, if not subscribe to these trends to some degree.

It would be hard to ignore them; evidence of trends is everywhere -- on television, in movies, in magazines and newspapers, on the street, in stores, at shows, etc. You can't get away from them. ... And you won't get away from them here, either.

You can discover trends just about anywhere, but how do they fit into your craft business? Do consumer trends have any significance in the crafts community? That is the question we have tried to answer in this issue.

As craft artists and retailers, you may distinguish yourselves by making and/or selling work that sets you apart from the department stores, but there are many instances where trends become a part of the creation of your work, or in the marketing of it.

We assembled a panel of craft industry experts to analyze what trends mean to the crafts community. The underlying sentiment was that yes, demographic, consumer and color trends do play a part in the creation and marketing of crafts. In many cases, it's the artist's job to interpret them. Click here to read about it.

In addition, this month features the Color Marketing Group's (CMG) official Color Directions 2000. According to CMG, colors in the new millennium will be influenced by technology, spirituality, individuality and ethnic blending. Click here to see CMG's color predictions for this year.

Grace Butland, our retail columnist, tells you how to spot trends while they are just beginning to pick up steam. She offers suggestions that apply to both retailers and craft artists. Click here for her article.

New, improved TCR Online

Starting with this issue, we'll be launching a brand-new version of The Crafts Report Online, our comprehensive, user-friendly Web site (www.craftsreport.com). The new site is designed to serve as a gateway to the crafts community, rather than simply an online version of the magazine.

The new home page will make it easier for new and seasoned visitors to find the answers to common craft business questions, such as consignment issues or starting a business, in our new Frequently Asked Questions section. Convenient new headings will make it easier to locate our listings of shows, galleries, artists, suppliers and resources, or peruse magazine-related sections. A new, more interactive area will allow visitors to jump to online exclusive interviews, answer our monthly Public Opinion question, and submit crafts business questions online, to be answered by our financial expert, Fred Brown. If you have a question you'd like to ask other artists, visit The Crafts Report Online's Discussion Board. Hundreds of artists' questions are answered each month by their peers.

The Crafts Report's 1999 index to articles is already posted to help you find the articles you need. Many of the articles from the past three years are available on the Web site.

Look for the new site this month! And ... Happy New Year!

Bernadette Finnerty is editor of The Crafts Report.

JANUARY 2000: TABLE OF CONTENTS