So what is craftivism?

My whole idea for this site is based on the idea that craft + activism = craftivism. That each time you participate in crafting you are making a difference, whether it’s fighting against useless materialism or making items for charity or something betwixt and between.

It’s about the not-so-radical notion that activists can be crafters, and crafters can be activists.

 

And why do we need it?

Because we create to connect beyond ourselves. Whether we’re connecting with someone next door or across the globe. Craft and activism both take and inspire passion. When used as a joint force, they can quite possibly begin to slowly challenge and change things.

Sometimes people ask if craft can save the world. In the short run, maybe not.

However, in the long run, the more people who become aware of how utilitarian items are made by hand, the more people will choose to use ethically sourced and produced items. Because there is a cognitive dissonance between making a sweater by hand that takes 30 hours, vs. paying $15 for a handmade sweater in a store.

 

Why do we need it now?

Because people have grown tired of so-called traditional ways of activism (like the photo at the top of this post!). They are looking for a way to connect and deepen their understanding of things. Yelling doesn’t change things, but dialogue does.

Because it is possible to go beyond banners, email petitions, and chants as ways of fighting for a cause you believe in. You could have a knit-in, papier-mache puppets, teach a crafty class for kids- all ways of turning that energy into a more positive, more useful, force. Atrocities are happening in our front yards and on our televisions and we need to find ways to react against what is happening without either giving up or exploding.

This is less about mass action and more about realizing what you can do to make things around you better.

This is about doing things intentionally in order to learn and better process the happenings in this world.

This is about creating dialogue with others in the hope for positive change.