Buying handmade is still buying
Posted by Joelle
February 14, 2008
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“Desafio superzíper: eu apoio essa campanha!” by Alice Batelli on Flickr.
I just read this short article What Would Jesus Sell? by Jean Railla of GetCrafty on the Murketing blog, which has crystallised a niggle I have had in the back of my head for a while.
She is looking at the growth of crafting, and fearing that it is becoming commodified and moving towards consuming: “Isn’t the whole point of modern crafting Do It Yourself – not Buy from Someone Who is Doing It Themselves?”
Green lifestyle, in a similar way, often seems to be about buying new things, be they shoes made from recycled leather, energy efficient kettles, vintage crockery reworked into lampbases and so on. Clearly recycled, organic, fairtraded, locally sourced or handmade goods are better than their less ethical equivalents, but if you don’t need another pair of shoes you’d be greener to stick with the old pair, and get them repaired when they wear out.
Don’t fear, I am not about to go all self sufficiency on you and start posting about how to weave your own hair shirt from felted cat hair. This is a craft and design blog after all, and we all like to aspire to have or create lovely things.
But I do worry a bit that my attitude towards my daily read craft and lifestyle blogs does somedays lead to feeling like I don’t measure up. Dangerous thought creep in: my house is not so artfully filled with vintage trinkets, my notecards are not handprinted, my breakfast was mere cereal rather than homebaked muffins with fresh blueberries… Maybe if I buy that Japanese craft book or that Reprodepot fabric or that cute red enamel teapot… maybe then I will become a crafting goddess with a book deal and a dachshund stretched out on the rug in my studio.
The objects of desire may be different, may be wholesome and ethically produced, but is our want for them so different from what marketers use to persuade us our life would be better if we bought a certain mascara or washing powder?
Have I drawn any conclusions? A world stripped back only to what we need with nothing there that we purely love would be miserable. I really do draw genuine joy from my red enamel teapot every single time I use it. But I remind you, as I keep reminding myself, to appreciate what I have, rather than coveting what I don’t need.
Well, the article got me thinking anyway, as it did some others. This article and the comments in response are interesting too: by Vanessa (not our Vanessa) on Etsy’s Craftivism blog.
11 comments Categories: adventure, blogs, craft, green, shopping
February 14th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I think there’s also this idea that making or buying handcrafted is economical when compared to buying mass made, but often if you factor in your time in the making or purchase quality materials that’s rarely the case. You’ll end up with something much nicer, more satisfying and in some instances surely cost effective, but you may be able to get a cheaper version at a market or something.
February 14th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
hello!!!!
i loved that you´ve used my picture! thanks!!!
i´m very happy with that!!!
=)
kisses
alice
February 14th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
I completely agree with your sentiments here; it’s something that’s bugged me on and off as well. I think that we’re conditioned from a young ages into believing that we can buy and buy until we become the people that we want to be/have the lives we want to have.
Buying handmade, whilst still an essentially consumerist act, does mean that someone just like you gets a bit of money to fund their craft habit, though!
February 15th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Vive la revolucion, comrade!
That’s really interesting, and a lot of what Ruskin was railing against in the mid-19th Century, which is why I’m not sure I like Unto This Last…
February 15th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Vanessa – its true that whereas once upon a time it was cheaper to make things, now mass production costs and the rising prices of materials, mean you can get a wardrobe or a skirt say far cheaper than you could make it. Stuff has been devalued – few people think about the work that has gone into producing it, being cheap stuff means often it is not designed to last, and we don’t mind, because it is cheap to buy another. So I am in favour of spending more to buy less, if it is made with care and quality. Though I do still love a bargain.
Peter – nice to be reminded of Ruskin. I’m sure reading him at university has influenced what I think now. Maybe we should do a ‘What Would Ruskin Buy?’ post
February 18th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Handmade has a plus for the artist or craftsman that do make something.
The plus being a deep emotional fulfillment and maybe something that is unique.
Making something occupies the mind and hands and usually keeps you out of trouble.
I have been an artist for awhile and selling my work helps me fuel the supplies, the creative juices and my surroundings.
And sometimes it pays the bills. I work as a freelance Graphic Designer and Illustrator.
All of this keeps my mind well and my spirit happy and awake!
February 19th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Good point Lisa – and that’s something you don’t get with mass production.
February 24th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Hear Hear! There is a danger of loosing sight of craft as something one does and seeing it as something one buys. You only have to read posts on some craft forums: ‘I have been doing -insert craft here- for 35 minutes and have decided to sell my wares. How do I go about it?’, like they are missing out on a pot of money comparable with the dotcom boom! Know any rich crafters? hmmm.
I get into lots of trouble on these forums for saying things like: ‘Go and get good at it first, stop giving decent, talented people who happen to sell what they love making a bad name by touting you tat around’.
But seriously, although there is a danger of commercialism rearing it’s ugly head even here, it is still better (nicer?) to aspire to owning a beautifully made piece of ART (which is what some stuff is!) by a talented person who cares about their work than a faceless corperation (sorry cliche).
February 24th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Good point Loll – I’m all for people being able to make money from their talents, but there seems to be a lot of emphasis on doing that these days, as if that is the real aim of crafting, beyond being an enjoyable or useful thing to do, which is a shame really.
April 4th, 2008 at 2:29 am
I’ve linked you to my blog as I also read the article and have been thinking about these things, hope you don’t mind…
April 4th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Cate – thanks very much for the link! Your post was very well-written, and it’s great to see other people considering this issue.