The Importance of Small Creators in a Community
The Importance of Small Creators in a Community
Why local makers, artists, writers, and dreamers matter more than ever.
Walk through any neighborhood—Pittsburgh, Portland, Pittsburgh again (because we do everything twice)—and you’ll find a truth that rarely makes headlines:
Small creators are the heartbeat of a community.
Not the big corporations.
Not the chain stores.
Not the faceless platforms.
It’s the people with paint under their fingernails, notebooks full of half-formed ideas, kitchen tables covered in early drafts and late-night sketches, who quietly push a community forward.
And if you look closely enough, you’ll see just how much they matter.
They Make Culture, Not Noise
Cities aren’t defined by billboards or boardrooms—
they’re shaped by the people who create for no other reason than they must.
A poet scratching lines at a coffee shop.
A woodworker crafting furniture in a garage.
A small-batch roaster blending beans in a basement.
A local author releasing a mystery novel about a demon under the Homestead Grays Bridge (purely hypothetical, of course…).
Small creators give a community a pulse.
They make things you can feel.
They Keep Money Local
Buying from a small creator is one of the most powerful investments you can make.
When you support them:
The money stays in the neighborhood.
It pays for groceries, childcare, and rent.
It helps someone keep creating.
And it cycles back into other small businesses.
A dollar spent on a small creator is a dollar spent twice in the community.
Try getting that from a big-box store.
They Inspire Others to Try
There’s a special kind of courage in releasing your work into the world—
whether it’s a painting, a zine, a handmade backpack, or a weird and wonderful Yeti-themed brand (again…purely hypothetical).
When one person takes that leap:
Others follow.
Small creators build momentum.
Momentum builds culture.
Culture builds community.
It’s the simplest kind of magic.
They Build Real Connections
Small creators don’t just make things—
they talk, share, teach, listen, collaborate.
You can have a conversation with them.
Ask them questions.
Shake their hand at a local market.
Grab a coffee and hear the story behind the story.
There’s a human element that gets lost in mass production.
Small creators bring it back.
They Give a Community Its Story
Every town has a story.
Small creators are the ones writing it, painting it, carving it, roasting it, sketching it, stitching it, and publishing it. They embed their experiences, their humor, their stubbornness, their hope, and their hometown pride into everything they make.
They hold onto the things worth remembering.
They preserve what makes a place unique.
Without them, communities feel the same.
With them, communities feel like home.
How You Can Support Small Creators Today
You don’t need to buy out a vendor table or load up your cart.
Support takes many forms:
Buy something if you can
Share their work
Leave a review
Tell a friend
Show up to small markets
Follow them on social media
Say, “Hey, this is really good”
Small creators survive on the strength of small actions.
Yours matters more than you think.
A Final Note
Smokey McPickle was built on this belief:
that small creators deserve big support.
If you’ve ever:
grabbed a sticker,
read a blog post,
downloaded a book,
shared a link, or
cheered on the madness…
You’re part of the engine that keeps this whole thing moving.
And today—on Small Business Saturday and every day after—thank you for supporting the makers, the dreamers, and the wonderfully strange folks who keep our communities vibrant.
Keep supporting small.
Keep creating big.
Keep supporting small.
Keep creating big.