I don't know how eloquent this will come out... as I don't have time for rewriting and all the work that it would take me to write a polished piece... but I just have to write this!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/
I just read this NY Times article and it really has me thinking about "Handmade" I have always made stuff. I made stuff for my house, for gifts and for craft shows that earned me extra cash. I am a creative person and feel physical anxiety when I am not creating. I love this new handmade movement. I love the way artists are being embraced by the public. I love that people are knitting coffee cozies for friends' Christmas gifts! I just wonder what happened to make this so popular. We as a society had a few good years... living large, charging up our credit cards for goods and services we wanted, buying big houses we couldn't afford because we deserve it. Borrowing on the value of these homes because we wanted more. And all this "stuff" we wanted.... what good is it? Most of it was made in China and other underdeveloped countries, supporting the exploitation of weak people who can work hard for little benefit or starve. Our going into debt to buy this stuff only really helped a few BIG wealthy suits... and now, even they are crying about how poor they are! I love the simplicity of "Handmade". A single human person gets an idea. This person makes something wonderful. Another human sees the beauty of the item and pays the artist.... the actual human, the one who created the item, the actual value of the item. It is just simple and beautiful! Why is everything else so complicated? As the human item maker... I am so grateful to everyone who supported me! I am using my earnings wisely too... shopping at my community owned co-op... buying handmade wherever I can, and being forever grateful!
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