I find a lot of people that homebrew also are quite crafty with other things like woodwork. From my observation a lot of people enjoy the "start with nothing, end with something" aspect of brewing.
It's also rewarding in a couple ways. As I mentioned, you start with ingredients and end with a finished product and that is always a thrill, but on top of that, as a bonus, you end up with BEER!
Personally, I enjoy the process and the adventure. Trying new recipes, tweaking other recipes, it's very fun and very therapeutic for me. Plus, when all is said and done, it's something you can be proud of. Homebrewers are pretty generous people when it comes to handing out the finished product. From my point of view, there's nothing better than handing over a freshly bottled 6-pack to friends & family and getting the typical, "Wow, I don't like dark beers but this is phenomenal! Let me know what your next batch will be!!"
On a side note, I blame New Jersey along with my High School and College years. I could never stand watered down ****ty lite beers. I was always the one bringing 6-packs of craft beer while others where all about buying 30-packs of crap.