I try to avoid malls and big box discount stores as much as I can. I easily get disheartened by modern society's insatiable appetite for consumption. The mix of mass manufacturing and instant gratification has become a dangerous cocktail for today's consumers. We fill our homes with things that lack handcrafted tradition or thoughtful production, and, by the end of the day, we still find ourselves longing for a connection to others and this world.
Only buy what you love.
This was the motto of our retail store that carried handmade goods by independent designers. As shop owners we likened ourselves to storytellers who sought to connect our customers with the stories and the makers of our products. I believe it is this connection that gives a product its true value.
When I shop, I'm always looking for the history of the product. Many of the items that I purchase actually come from second-hand sellers. Shown above are some of the used things I picked up this past weekend at estate sales. In general, I try to only bring home items that inspire me to take action (draw, cook, garden, etc.).
Only buy what you love.
This was the motto of our retail store that carried handmade goods by independent designers. As shop owners we likened ourselves to storytellers who sought to connect our customers with the stories and the makers of our products. I believe it is this connection that gives a product its true value.
When I shop, I'm always looking for the history of the product. Many of the items that I purchase actually come from second-hand sellers. Shown above are some of the used things I picked up this past weekend at estate sales. In general, I try to only bring home items that inspire me to take action (draw, cook, garden, etc.).
/// recent finds ///
classic books, including two Pearl Buck early editions
a vintage Kodak Retina in near perfect condition
linoleum cutter set in its original box
yarn remnants for a new zigzag blanket I started
vintage backpack for hiking// whoops! snipped the fabric when opening the package . . .
mended by affixing triangle patches
3 comments:
I like the idea that you're trying to deliver here. Perhaps, people can shop for materials rather than the final product. Meaning: they can buy parts and assemble them at home to make something new, with a touch of their own creativity. Shopping malls are full of the same mass-produced products, but people should, from time to time, put a little of their own personalities on the things that they use at home.
I agree and do the same.
Estate sales/Garage Sales are my favorite and the tools you find are typically better quality than are made now. Many of my art tools all our garden tools are second hand- No plastic junk.
-April
love the linoleum cutter! those are so fun! i just used mine on a rubber block to make a stamp...the rubber block is so much easier than a piece of linoleum. have fun with it! :)
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