craftivism.

Whats and Whys, and craftivism meets Parliament

| Betsy

And not the band Parliament, either.

This video is from the folks over at the Craftivist Collective and features one of their recent campaigns.

What I like about this video the most is that it shows the softer side of activism. No smashing or yelling or hatred or breaking things, just some honest voices (from both sides) and some stitches and some explaining of just what this bunting is about.

For me, the personal is political, so while the what people feel passionate about and create craftivist projects for varies, the why does not. The what can be whatever you wish, as long as the why is centered on positive change that helps you, the maker, and them, the viewer. Because ideally, there is no us and them, so the positive force that is behind craftivism should run throughout, creating positive change for us all.

And might this positive change be? It could be picking up a needle right there and doing some stitching or listening to what people have to say or questioning the methods and having an open dialogue or taking the experience with you and just letting it in. Sometimes you need to act NOW and sometimes you need to listen and digest what’s going on to really take in someone else’s passionate thoughts before acting on your own. Kind of great, huh?

The caveat? Once those thoughts have been digested, they still might not agree with you or your methods. They may think it’s all a big waste of time or silly or wondering why you stitched some little thing instead of playing football or having a drink or reading the paper or taking a nap. But, that’s not the important part here. The important part is that you made them think about your actions via positive means. Whether for a minute or a year or a second or a week, the message of positive activism was there and present, it’s up to them to do the work.

Emerge, Plus, Have Not Run Off With Monkeys!

| Betsy

You may have noticed that I haven’t updated here in awhile. That’s been due to two things…


1a. Working on some projects not directly related to craftivism, one of them, some communications work with the amazing non-profit seen in the video above, Emerge, which helps young sexually abused girls in Sri Lanka start their own jewelry businesses.

1b. There are other projects I’ve been working on, too, which will surface publicly soon! Yay!

2. Taking some time off the internet entirely, after being told I was misdiagnosed and given medication that made me worse for fifteen years! Although have been knocked a bit back by some allergy problems, have been enjoying finally having the energy to do things once again… some of them for the first time this century. (Krikey!)




While the time off has been pretty great, it’s also reminded me how much finding craft a decade ago has helped me redirect, reshape (and in many ways) rediscover my own life, so will be back on a more regular basis soon. When I started writing about craftivism, this crazy compound notion I came up with in 2003, I had no idea it was going to grow in so many different directions and mean so many different things to so many different people. It’s been so amazing! But it also means reworking what it means to me now in 2011 now that so many other people have found it has meaning in their own lives too. Now that it’s no longer just me touting a rogue idea, but something that has been written about and practiced by people around the world, this time off has been important to really figure out in what direction I need to go to with craftivism now that it’s come into its own.

So, I guess what I’m saying is, I’m still here, and that I’ll be back soon. I just needed some strict time away to refocus on my life outside craft and technology, in order to figure out the best way to go forward within them.

x



Sjors Vervoort’s Cardboard Monsters, & a Roundup of Recent Craftivism Links

| Betsy

Thanks to the world of Twitter, I came across the amazing below (featuring the equally amazing work of Sjors Vervoort last night thanks to fellow DC dweller @MosesHawk (go check out his work over here)


”

Oh, and I’ve been woefully behind on keeping up to date here with craftivism-related links. No more, however, as there’s SO MUCH awesomeness out there to share with you!!

RECENT CRAFTIVISM-RELATED LINKS:
*Craftivism and Mobility
*Craftivism: Art With Attitude
*Juxtaposition and Craftivism
*Oya: Selbermachen- Aber wie
*Craftivism: Syjunta Med SMS-Broderi
*Craftivism for Feminists (And Mentalists)
*Fashion-able: Hacktivism and Engaged Fashion Design
*Craftivist Collective’s Report From Climate Rush Railway Adventure
*Craftivism: Making a Difference With Art (Plus, The Corsage Project!)
*Take Back the Knit: Urban Crafting Weaves “Women’s Work” Into Protest

RECENT RANDOMLY AWESOME LINKS:
*The Cult of Done Manifesto
*That Can Be My Next Tweet
*The Cult of Done Manifesto
*Avoid Idea Plateaus With a Plan
*What Lucky People Do Different
*Oconoplastic Fruit (Exploring the Relationship Between “Early Breast Cancer and the Oconoplastic Surgeon!!”

Giving Permission

| Betsy

As kids in school, we had to ask permission to do much of anything. We had to get a hall pass to do anything autonomous like go to the bathroom or the water fountain. We had to procure that pass and risk asking for it first.

As adults we think we don’t need permission, but often still let others dictate our actions. Should I do this, say this, wear this, make this? Is this a good idea? We wade in this murky no (wo)man’s land between giving ourselves permission and asking others for it.

But as crafters, artists and makers, it’s part of our job (whether we get paid for it or not) to help others to not only attain that permission, but also to break free of having to always seek it.

By daring to act on how we feel and summoning the energy, bravery, spirit to create something, we are reinforcing to others that it’s okay to step forth and make something new, whether it’s novel, popular or just plain out there. Because the “out there” that we fear we’re going to hit is only of our own devising anyway. We tell ourselves that it’s a bad idea, it’s been done before, or that it’s outside of our realm of expertise and take that permission away ourselves all too often in the second we think about seeking approval from others, whether or not they’re like-minded.

It’s our job to step forwards and make want we want to, as not only then do we free ourselves of asking the permission of others, but in the very same action, we free others to stop asking for it, too. That blip of creativity that we’re expending outwards (and very often soaking in inwards) is a welcome sign to others that it’s safe, it’s okay and it’s just plain fun to go ahead and make.

In London this week? You can start bucking off that permission askin’ by checking out It’s Your Write! A Celebration of the Self-Published this Thursday night at the Museum of Childhood from 6-9pm!

Engage in workshops, join in panel discussions, watch performances, and browse over 20 stalls from independent creators to the beat of a live music backdrop from Noah and The Whale’s Indie label ‘The Young and Lost Club’, who will bring new bands such as Planet Earth. Nick Hornby’s Ministry of Stories will kick off the night with a collaborative writing workshop, and you can make badges and banners thanks to The Craftivist Collective and Craft Guerrilla’s Zeena Shah. Be inspired by folk champion Sam Lee as he sheds light on the rich political history of Romany Gypsy and Traveller music, write that letter you haven’t had time for at the aptly named Letter Lounge, or find out how to make a ‘zine’ worth reading thanks to self-publishing collective, The Alternative Press.




Now step up and get makin’!



Why To Pay Attention, via War Boutique and Carrie Reichardt

| Betsy

Last December when I was at Carrie Reichardt’s (amazing) house* in London, she showed me some of the pieces of work she had by her friend War Boutique. I was amazed at the way he incorporated his knowledge learned from creating “armour systems for the government,” into his art practice using, as he notes in the video below, Kevlar, ballistic nylon, chain mail, stab vests. There’s more about the origin of his work here.

While you should watch the whole video, as it’s brilliant, one thing he says spoke out to me the most, “In today’s society, there’s so much wrong with society, to me, that’s the role of the artist… to try and keep that highlighted and not let it drift away and become yesterday’s news.”

It’s our (whether you call yourself an artist, crafter or maker) role to make sure people pay attention. Our (collective!) role.

War Boutique Artist Profile from Alex Buckley on Vimeo.



And speaking of Carrie, she currently has a show up at Ink’d in Brighton until April 10, which you can read a review of over at Spindle. The show is called Mad in England, a show about which the Ink’d website notes (click text to read more):

UK renegade potter and leading anarchist Carrie Reichardt will be bringing an eccentric twist to all things British at Ink_d Gallery. As we built up towards the media mania of The Royal Wedding Reichardt has decided she just can’t take it anymore – and this show represents the Great British Empire as ‘Cruel Britannia’ through her unique anarchic vision.”

If you can’t get to the show, you can still own a bit of “Mad in England!”I recently received my specially made mug for the Kate n Wills Royal wedding next month in the mail that Carrie created for the occasion. While it does contain a 4-letter word not suitable for the kitchens of some, it looks quite proper sitting on my kitchen shelf.



*Seriously her house is amazing. They did a 4-page spread on it in The Guardian last year. See the original Guardian article here, and complete with photos over here. (And yes, there is a little blurb about Garth Johnson, Craftivist Collective and I down at the bottom of the article. Way to go, eagle eye!