You’d have to be hiding out from any and all media to have missed the onslaught of “news” regarding Black Friday, and to a lesser extent, Small Business Saturday. Most readers know I’m a fool for British design; well, those brilliant denizens of that island across the pond have outdone themselves with a whole week dedicated to stationery and small business— and we should all take advantage as well!
Positioned as the colorful, independent alternative to Black Friday, Just A Card — Indie Week runs November 25-29, and is specifically designed to celebrate the joys of buying from design shows, craft fairs, online from artist/maker websites, independent shops and small businesses.
The effort evolved from 2015’s grassroots Just a Card campaign, born when Artist/Designer Sarah Hamilton read a quote by gallery owners whose business had been forced to close: “If everyone who’d complimented our beautiful gallery had bought ‘just a card’ we’d still be open.”
It was a call to action. Every sale, however small, even ‘just a card,’ can be the difference between a vibrant creative community or a boarded-up businesses. The campaign is run by a small passionate team of volunteers comprised of artists, makers or creative business owners.
Their momentum is nothing to sneeze at — currently over 10,000 independents display the distinctive Support Independent Shops stickers in their stores, celebrities sport distinctive “Just a Card” enamel pins — while thousands more hobnob within Just a Card’s vibrant online creative community.
With that existing platform, Just a Card — Indie Week takes it to the next level. The effort welcomes everyone — designers, makers, shops, the buying public, influencers, press, exhibition organizers, small businesses, and yes, even Americans — to participate, both on and offline, and celebrate their businesses, their partners, their communities and their personal stories.
IG stationeristas will not want to miss out on the Five Day Instagram Challenge running all next week. Just head over to the Just a Card Instagram page and follow the daily prompts below (and you can see a sneak peek of what to share on the Just a Card — Indie page linked above). This is a great way to meet and support other like-minded people, build Instagram engagement, gain new followers — and of course shamelessly promote your own events and work!
Kudos to everyone behind this vibrant promotion of small business, makers and of course lots and lots of stationery. So get involved — and here’s hoping those of stateside can generate something similar next year!
