Economic necessity and a rejection of impoverished consumerism mean that more and more of us are (re)learning how to make, mend and do for ourselves.

Apart from deeper, more lasting satisfaction, learning new crafts and skills not only equips us for a world in transition, but also helps us connect to it, and one another.

Understanding how to work with materials – from textiles to metal, wood and words – replaces old-style consumer materialism based on fleeting engagement, rapid boredom, dissatisfaction and quick disposal with a different kind of materialism.

A world in which we all hold a wider range of practical skills leaves us less at the mercy of disposable goods and built-in obsolescence, and more in a position to shape and fashion the world around us in satisfying ways.

It gives us real freedom to replace the illusory version promised by the market.

The New Materialism: How our relationship with the material world can change for the better