I first read Handmade Nation by Faythe Levine & Cortney Heimerl when I was just starting out on my shop. The book reads like a documentary featuring artisans from around the United States. Each segment/chapter centers around an artist from each region such as the Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, etc. What I like most about this book besides the colorful crafty pics is the story behind each artist's journey to success. It is kind of like a compilation of Etsy's "Quit My Day Job" features. Handmade Nation has also been filmed as a documentary so if you don't have the patience to read the book then check it out on Amazon video on demand. I think I'm gonna watch it this weekend.
