Building something with your hands — and a career — at makerspaces

This year has been dominated by headlines about artificial intelligence. One forecast predicts spending on AI will reach $2.7 trillion this year.

But as the AI buildout accelerates, some are looking for ways to slow down.

That was the case at MakerSpace NYC, a community workshop in New York, busy with people sewing, welding, drilling — making things.

For some, it’s just for fun. But for others, it’s where they make their living. The sawdust was flying in the makerspace wood shop on a Tuesday afternoon visit.

Scott Van Campen, executive director here, pointed out folks one by one who have come to depend on this place to run their small businesses.

“We're really super proud to be able to support those people as they get a foothold in their industry,” he said.

Creators can rent tools and other resources from the makerspace for a fraction of what it would cost to buy them outright. Van Campen co-founded this non-profit with his wife D.B. Lampman in 2013.

“I think 90% of the people that are here are freelancers that are doing it as a business,” Lampman said.

One of these entrepreneurs, Simon Barrie, was in the sewing area on this particular day. He was working on cushions for a banquette. Barrie makes furniture here, and he said he couldn’t run his business without the makerspace.

“The initial investment of opening a woodworking studio, whatever, all the tools, is pretty prohibitive,” he said.

If he had to buy all of that, he’d be looking at something like $20,000 in startup costs. Compare that with what he’s paying right now — $600 a month.

There’s also a cheaper membership for a couple hundred dollars a year that comes with more limited access. These membership fees collected from about 420 members help keep this place running, along with foundation support from the city and state. There are also a limited number of free memberships for low-income people in the neighborhood.

Over in the metal shop, makers were hammering away. Sparks danced behind thick plastic protective screens amid soldering and welding. One of the artists used this place to pivot careers completely — Seth Cousins, a self-described “former tech guy.”

“Twenty-five to 30 years as a software engineer, product manager, delivery tech, tech stuff,” he said. “And now I'm a sculptor. So in April, I left the startup that I was working at and started working here full time.”

Cousins recalled a recent conversation with a younger software engineer, a neighbor, who said the work had changed from thinking about code and solving problems to now babysitting AI agents that do a lot of the work.

“And I figure when they do take over the world, this sort of physical stuff is going to be the last thing that they take over,” he said. “So we'll be safer for a little bit longer.”

That’s job safety, he said. And it’s better than staring at a screen all day.

But not everyone I meet here is doing this for work. Miles Kucker is nearby in the metal shop, making an ornate raven out of steel. “It's for my grandson,” he said. ”This is my first bird.”

He’s also made a cat, a dog, a crocodile, a koala, and a platypus.

This is the kind of thing you might not get in a room full of robots. And these tactile skills are even more valuable in our increasingly digital-focused economy, Van Campen said.

“The stuff where really we need to manipulate and to make decisions quickly and accurately — I don't think that robots are actually going to replace us,” he said.

He’s proud to give people a place to build something — whether that’s furniture, an animal made of steel, or a business.

“It is very rewarding to be able to support and encourage these people to really build whatever they want to build,” Van Campen said.