If you weren't making things 100 years ago -- you'd be dead. Your home, your food, your clothes and even your toys were all made by you or someone you knew. Somewhere along the way, humans seem to have forgotten that we were makers, and instead became consumers.

Now, when some people build, sew and bake they are making a conscious choice to return to our maker roots. This movement is Maker Culture. Today, makers challenge the mainstream and make instead of buy.

What used to be a necessity is now a lifestyle. But how were these people inspired, how did they learn and how did they get to where they are now?

Here are the stories of some modern day makers.

Sewing it all together

In Austin, Texas Cathy Wu is making jewelry out of dried fruit. In London, Ontario Brian Frank is educating himself in digital media. John Hammel. In St. Jacob's, Ontario, owns the last handmade corn broom plant in Canada. In the U.S. Rustbelt ordinary citizens are dropping by a community college to use laser cutters and 3D printers. And, in homes all over the world, people are connecting to the Internet to discover galaxies or unfold the secrets of Alzheimer's and Parkison's Disease.