As a blog, Careers in Crafts explores the business aspect, or monetizing one's passion for handcrafted merchandise. But have you ever paused to think that as a crafter, you may be serving a higher purpose by taking part in a global movement called craft activism, or craftivism?
What is Craftivism?
Craftivism is a way of life where expressing opinions through creativity strengthens your voice, deepens your compassion, and makes your quest for justice more infinite.
Craftivism promotes the kind of mindset and lifestyle that focus less on capitalism and excessive consumerism, and more on innovation, creativity, and stretching one's available resources.
To illustrate, Craft Materials can be cheaper when bought in bulk, and usually, you have to buy them in stores that aren't found in shopping malls. And when working on projects, craft materials can be stretched further by combining them with junk or items lying unused around the house.
While some handicrafts like crocheting, knitting, needlework, sewing, and cross stitch require that one stick to a pattern, other types of crafts encourage an active imagination and lots of creativity.
Learning or continuously improving your crafting skills can also pave the way to a more ecologically friendly lifestyle.
To illustrate, being able to sew means you can repurpose old jeans into a tote bag or skirt, and make it look more chic with lace, ruffles, appliques, or cloth patches.
You can also help alleviate the effects of the current pandemic by coming up with your own patterns for face masks, designing, and sewing them.
And instead of following fads and trends in fashion and lifestyle, crafters and artisans can deliberately and intentionally shun these trends by using the items they have made.
How Does Craftivism and the DIY Movement Help in Stimulating the Economy?
Just the mere thought or desire to monetize, or turn one's passion for crafts, into a business is already a proactive decision to achieve self-sufficiency.
In a wider scale, we should consider that each community and culture has their own unique handicrafts. Choosing to patronize handmade products will help sustain small businesses and communities that rely on them.
