Emma MacTaggart, 26, left investment banking to sell needlepoint. Fellow Gen Zer Clara Sherman co-founded a company to make mahjong cool for younger players. They’re part of a wave of millennials and Gen Z entrepreneurs building companies around analog hobbies as a relief from screen fatigue, according to AP News, and business is booming.
MacTaggart founded What’s the Stitch after becoming “hooked” on needlepoint as a way to escape doomscrolling. She now sells canvases, accessories, and digital designs with a modern twist on the traditionally “buttoned up” craft. Sherman’s company, So Bam Fun, helps players reach a “zen state” while gaming with friends.
Likewise, Anna Weare, 27, a full-time blacksmith, has a year-long waitlist for her handmade spurs. She says the appeal of handmade crafts lies in young consumers being tired of mass-produced slop. “People want longevity, and this craft has been around for so long for a reason,” she said. The trend has been amplified by social media, where “grandma hobbies” have gone viral.
Emma MacTaggart, 26, left investment banking to sell needlepoint. Fellow Gen Zer Clara Sherman co-founded a company to make mahjong cool for younger players. They’re part of a wave of millennials and Gen Z entrepreneurs building companies around analog hobbies as a relief from screen fatigue, according to AP News, and business is booming.
MacTaggart founded What’s the Stitch after becoming “hooked” on needlepoint as a way to escape doomscrolling. She now sells canvases, accessories, and digital designs with a modern twist on the traditionally “buttoned up” craft. Sherman’s company, So Bam Fun, helps players reach a “zen state” while gaming with friends.
Likewise, Anna Weare, 27, a full-time blacksmith, has a year-long waitlist for her handmade spurs. She says the appeal of handmade crafts lies in young consumers being tired of mass-produced slop. “People want longevity, and this craft has been around for so long for a reason,” she said. The trend has been amplified by social media, where “grandma hobbies” have gone viral.
