Lisa Congdon’s Handlettered Anais Nin Quote

| Betsy

This came to my attention over in a post over on the fabulous Brain Pickings. If you haven’t checked it out already, you should sign up for the weekly Brain Pickings newsletter, which I was first introduced to via Colleen Wainwright’s newsletter.

You can see more of Lisa’s amazing handlettering work here. Or learn even more about her on her website, lisacongdon.com.

It especially resonated with me because of how I think of craftivism. How, if anything, it connects us. To ourselves, to others, to the world. And sometimes, when I feel broken, it connects me even more so.

This quote, elucidates just how sometimes broken can make you better, which is something I can get behind, can’t you?

5 Questions With… (New Craftivist Interview Series!)

| Betsy

So, while I work on compiling on my various resources for craftivism, I’d love to know more about *yours.* Awhile ago, I asked on Twitter if anyone would like to participate in a new interview series for this here blog, and got some takers, whose answers you’ll see here soon.

Likewise, I was wondering if some of you readers might be interested in sharing your craftivist thoughts and activities? If so, feel free to let me know here in the comments, via @craftivista over on Twitter or by emailing me directly.

Here are the 5 questions I’ll be asking, although you’re free to add your own if there’s something else you’d like to share. Since this series is just starting, the exact questions may evolve somewhat over time. The point here is to share how you interpret craftivism with words and/or photos. I look forward to hearing and sharing your stories!

1. In a sentence, how would you define craftivism?

2. What craftivist projects have you been involved with and/or are you doing now?

3. Has craftivism changed the way you’ve looked at craft and/or activism? If so, how?

4. What causes/organizations do you turn your craftivism efforts towards? How did you come to choose them?

5a. Do you have any craftivist-related resources you’d like to share that helped you become craftivi-tastic? Or that you’d like people to know about?

5b. Have any of your own projects you’d like to share?


Why Easy Isn’t Always Right…

| Betsy

Age-old proof that knocking something (or someone) down is always easier than building something (or someone) up. And that every time, making something will always beat the socks off of destroying anything.

If you need more proof, check out this post by Joel Runyon… Who almost ignored the stranger talking to him about his computer. He didn’t. And soon discovered he was talking to Russell Kirsch.

From the post:

“I’ve been against Macintosh company lately. They’re trying to get everyone to use iPads and when people use iPads they end up just using technology to consume things instead of making things. With a computer you can make things. You can code, you can make things and create things that have never before existed and do things that have never been done before.”

“That’s the problem with a lot of people”, he continued, “they don’t try to do stuff that’s never been done before, so they never do anything, but if they try to do it, they find out there’s lots of things they can do that have never been done before.”


The Possibilities of Futuristic Textiles/Creativity (and Healing, too?)

| Betsy

What I love most about working with textiles is that sometimes I get asked to do some pretty amazing things. The other week I was asked to hold a day workshop at V2_ in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, later on this year, where they are working on some amazingly incredible and inspiring things, some of them you can see in the videos below. To check out all other videos from V2, go check out their comprehensive and vast video archive over here:

Ultimaker Masterclass (2011) from V2_ on Vimeo.

Wearable Urban Routine-Xiaowen Zhu (2011) from V2_ on Vimeo.

Momentum by Xandra van der Eijk (2011) from V2_ on Vimeo.

 

I’ve kicked around some ideas of what I’d like to do, but am not sure exactly what yet. My first idea out of the box deals with making a garment (first thought: a vest) that uses conductive threads to simulate the wearer being given a hug. While it would specifically aid those who isolate themselves due to PTSD and/or other disorders, it would also be pretty darn cool. In a perfect world, there would be a way to use the conductive threads in such a way that one person somewhere with a computer could effectively “hug” the other wearing the vest knitted with conductive thread.

And ever so brilliant upon hearing this idea, Mr. X Stitch, suggested that I make a vest using conductive threads and heat sensors that show where someone has given you a hug.

Early days yet, but I’m thinking there will be something going on that relates to hugs, knitting and conductivity in late November. After all, seeing that hugs and knitting are two of my very favorite things, I can think of nothing more fun to work with!

And speaking of mental health and craft, there is a lovely post here over at Resurgence about the connection between the two.

A Little Bit of Prisoner Knitting: Pre-1920

| Betsy

Over the years, I’ve amassed quite a large collection of craftivist, activist, and therapeutic craft photos, essays, and resources from various searches online. Many of them I’ve shared here, but not all by a long shot. It’s photos like this that truly pique my interest in what we can do with craft. The links below need more research, but nonetheless, I wanted to share them, as they are definitely exciting!

On the Library of Congress>website, this is filed under “Prison education.” And I wonder, what was the greater plan here?

Don’t get me wrong, I highly value knitting and the skills it brings. However, were they planning on doing custom work like the incredibly talented inmates who work with Fine Cell Work? Or was this mislabeled under “education?”

The photo above is the twine plant at Wisconsin State Prison in Waupun, Wisconsin. As you can see below, this was clearly dedicated as a source of revenue, and, it an incredibly different type of activity than knitting by hand. However, a “knitting industry” is mentioned below, too.

“1862 – A cabinet shop is opened in the prison. In the next ten years, the prison will add a shoe shop, a tailor shop, a wagon factory, and an expansion to the cabinet shop for other furniture and chairs. By 1878, the revenues will be sufficient to allow the prison to run without drawing appropriations from the state’s treasury. A knitting industry is added in 1893, a twine plant in 1912, a cannery in 1915, a license plate operation in 1917, a print shop in the early 1920s, and a laundry in 1940. The laundry, license plate, wood and metal furniture, printing and signage, silk-screening, and tailoring operations survive to this day at the prison.”

Going further back in history, check out this, which needs further research for sure:

“The First Poor-House Erected: In 1734, the first poor-house was erected on the site of the present county court-house. It was forty-six feet long, twenty-four feet wide, and two stories high, with a cellar, all of gray stone. It was furnished with spinning-wheels, leather and tools for shoemaking, knitting needles, flax, etc., for the employment of the inmates. All paupers were required to work under penalty of mild punishments, and parish children were taught the three “R’s” and employed at useful labor. The house was also used for the correction of unruly slaves. A vegetable garden was laid out near the house, and the inmates cultivated it for the use of the institution.”