What do do when morals and creativity clash.
A few weeks ago, when I asked “Can you tell me the value your products provide?” I got the following email from a reader:
“I am into a minimalist phase in my life and strongly believe there is a big consumerism problem in this world. My life has changed in different ways and I’m proud of it. The problem now is that I don’t know how to sell my work anymore because of that! I tend to think “Do people really need to have this?” and that not only kills my sales but starts to affect my creativity.”
This email has been on my mind ever since.
I know this reader isn’t alone, because I’ve been there.
The summer before my last year of grad school, I took a workshop at Penland School of Crafts. There I was, in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, as the studio assistant for a dream teacher, learning exactly what I needed to learn to make my thesis happen, and I was miserable.
I was having one of those “what am I doing with my life?” meltdowns that affect so many creatives. I was concerned that I wasn’t putting anything of value into the world, that I wasn’t making a difference, and that I was just contributing to the problem of consumption and waste.
Obviously, I got through it. But I know a lot of other makers who didn’t. And others who are struggling with it right now.
It’s the dip where our moral sensibilities run headlong into our creative desires.
It’s true that we live in a world of overconsumption, overproduction, and waste. But what’s sad is that this has led us to devalue all stuff, including stuff that is actually pretty amazing, beautiful, and life changing.
Some stuff is better than other stuff, and the world needs that good stuff. And if that’s what you’re making, then the world needs YOUR stuff.
But here’s what worries me. If we, as makers, can’t understand that there’s a difference between earrings produced in a sweatshop and sold at a big box store and earrings made by hand in a sustainable way, then we’re all in trouble.
I have a capitol L liberal friend who wasn’t sure if she should have kids. She wanted kids, but was worried about overpopulation. “The world doesn’t need more people,” she thought. But then she had an important realization. People will always have children. But if people like her, people who cared about the environment, and social justice, and raising responsible citizens, stopped having kids, then that message wouldn’t spread. Then the only kids being born would be raised by parents who didn’t care about any of these issues.
The same is true for the stuff you make. People are always going to make stuff. And more importantly, people are always going to WANT (and need) stuff. Objects help us connect with the world. They communicate meaning and provide sensory experience. Stuff CAN enrich our lives.
Minimalism may be a solution to the problem of overconsumption for some people, but for most of us, its a pretty unfulfilling way to live. The solution to the problem isn’t minimalism, it’s art.
The solution is for YOU to recognize that what you make isn’t the same as the mass-produced, unhealthy stuff that most of us encounter on a daily basis.
YOUR art isn’t part of the problem. It’s the solution.
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If you want more help discovering the value of the art your make, be sure to check out my class, Sell Without Shame!
Megan, This is a great post! I like the name you ended up picking for your new site too. Great work!
Yes, Yes, Yes!! Stuff does matter, it helps you tell a story and express your creative self. At the very beginning of civilization people adorned themselves with jewelry and began creating art as a form of communication. Our issue is not with stuff but over consumption of mass produced stuff without meaning. I’ve truly connected and enjoyed reading your posts on this topic lately. Thank you so much Megan this is so valuable and I hope you continue spreading this message!
Definitely a lot of food for thought. Thank you once again for your insight.
I’ve been there too.
I’ve actually stopped exhibiting at all trade fairs in the UK at the moment (which I’d been attending for 12 years), for a variety of reasons (mostly variations of financial reasons) but in part because I felt so demoralised by the vast amounts of total rubbish on display. The message loud and clear to me was the planet cannot sustain this awful trash being shipped across the seas. I didn’t want to be dragged down by this, as my products don’t fall into this category.
I now exhibit at high end consumer shows where what I do is appreciated and sought after, and I’m so much happier for the decision!
I love this post.
I started a greeting card business a year ago.. and I got an email from Doctors Without Borders – and wondered what am i doing starting my own crafty business when there’s people that need help and I’m just putting more paper and waste in the world?
My supportive husband said this and it meant so much to me, I wanted to share:
“Greeting Cards is art that improves the quality of life of anyone who encounters it. That’s immeasurably huge! And better – you’re not just making designs that only a few can afford.. greeting cards everyone has access to, which means you can reach that many more people! I mean, it’s kind of the same reasoning that attracts me to comic books.
You’re expressing a type of life in each greeting card that hopefully reaches people and encourages them to live better and happier. That kind of Happiness is priceless : ) Maybe it will help balance 200 people and allow them to realize that they should go do MSF and be a doctor in Cote D’ivoire.”
While I don’t know if my art will convince people to be doctors, the main theme in my cards has since been to focus on relaxing and working to be stress-free and happier and hopefully it’ll affect more people than the corporate work I’ve been doing for years.
[Sorry for the length of this response – I found your post very inspiring]
My weaving is a labor of love. Each new inspiration, taking form, thread by thread, still seems miraculous.
It is my wish,that those who choose to own one of my pieces will, some how, find comfort, peace, beauty, warmth and joy while wrapped in each design.
It is the energy I strive to weave into everything I make.
I am a solitary weaver, blissfully absorbed in creating fabric art.
This isn’t stuff, it is divine alchemy, fiber interwoven with magic.
i truly believe that my stuff does matter. i hope that my love for the earth comes through in my work & my customers can sense it. thanks for the beautiful post!
When I read the first paragraph of your blog post in the email I get, I thought to myself – I’m not alone. Other people are having the same thoughts as I do… I wonder what she (Megan ;-)) is going to say about this.
I find your answer compelling. It’s good enough for me…
I love what I’m making and when people buy my jewelry – I feel that a part of me is going to other people around the world and making them happy. I love making people happy – it’s such a great feeling!!!!
This post really resonates with me. Creating jewellery from sustainable materials in my business does mean it costs more and often I’ve wondered if my customers can see the value in my products as opposed to mass produced. Your comment “If we, as makers, can’t understand that there’s a difference between earrings produced in a sweatshop and sold at a big box store and earrings made by hand in a sustainable way, then we’re all in trouble.” hit the nail on the head.
I’m SO relieved to know I’m not the only one who struggles with this issue! I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to share your thoughts on this matter. Not only do I work to sell my own handmade products, but I understand the importance of supporting my fellow artisans as well. I always do my best to buy locally handmade items, and I often hear the response, “You give the best gifts!” That right there really says it all.
It’s so true that stuff DOES matter. A beautiful piece of art or jewelry, or a wonderfully unique item will always bring a smile to a persons face. It’s time I start truly believing that MY stuff matters! I think that will be my new mantra for a while 😉
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Wow, such a good article and makes a person really think. I too have had that same thought cross my mind, “who wants what I make, it’s ridiculous to think someone would want one of my creations” but I still keep creating because it’s who I am and I love it so much! You made me think about the issue though of stuff and gave me a sense of relief too because I use materials in my collages and cards that are recycled and vintage so I am not just buying more things to create my items but I am helping the environment as well by repurposing and reusing. Thank you for taking my negative thoughts and turning them into positive thoughts.
starrydeborah
Thank you so much, this is a new venture for me and it’s been a challenge to create, learn and do, all safely behind my computer. For 38 years my “craft” was designing Science Labs for my classroom and other middle school teachers. Retiring from teaching, I recently came up with the idea of putting photos on fabric, hence Remembering Quilts. I create and mostly donate photo quilts, pillows and Remembering Flags to Veterans suffering from TBI and/or PSTD and Gold Star Moms. I have an Etsy shop but far from being found, but I’m working on it… I appreciate what you post…
Wonderful insight! Thanks for sharing =)
This is something I’ve thought about a lot too.I’d like to tell you a story which is not too long.
A couple of weeks ago a man stopped to look at my handcrafted jewellery. I asked him if he was after anything in particular and he said, yes, he wanted a special gift for his mother’s 90th birthday! He selected a new piece I’d just made and put out on the table. He was sure his mother would love it as she had always been creative. I felt so honoured to have one of my pieces selected for such a special event.
It’s these moments that make being artistic such an important gift to the world and make me glad I chose this path (or did it choose me?). All the best and thank you for your insightful posts x
Oh – I love your post!
It made me stand taller just to read it. It made my day and gave me a stronger sense of conviction in my own work just having read it. Thank you, thank you!
I love this! I pour and hand paint ceramic pieces. A lot of which is dinnerware. Sometimes at shows I hear, ” I can do that”, or “I don’t need more stuff to store”. I tell them that they don’t have to store it, use it! This just made me feel better about the fact that what I make is quality merchandise and of value. Thanks!
Megan, I’ve recently started following your blog and have ordered several of your products. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights, they have been critical to my own growth as a creative in business! This post in particular inspired me to sit down and think more about my own value proposition as a creative on the verge of opening a studio to help others get in touch with their creativity through the medium of recycled materials and “pin”spiration. The result was today’s blogpost on my own website about my value proposition as inspired by my teapot! As i work through the business bits and pieces that are so foreign to my way of operating, your words and wisdom carry me through and as Kathleen O’G said it: I’m standing taller and stronger in my own conviction (sorry for the paraphrase Kathleen!).
Lisa – I LOVED reading your post! So glad things are clicking for you!
So very helpful. Now I know how to respond to those comments and quiet some of my own guilt. Thanks!
Megan, you are part of my creative journey and you help me a lot, please never stop encouraging artist as you do…thank you.
Something lead me to your blog this morning. It’s so nice to know that there are other creatives conflicted by their artistic passion and concern for our planet. I have been dealing with these thoughts for years and in just the last couple of days I’ve decided to make my designs more in tune with my beliefs – to change over to eco friendly fabrics and incorporate upcycling. Goods are necessary to help people earn a living and doing it responsibly is a win-win for the state of humankind and our planet. Thanks for your inspiring post!
I make leather good belts wallets bags etc. My take is this the items I make will long outlast anything bought in the box stores. If i sell one wallet I have prevented the sale of at least 5 cheap pieces of crap. The leather is a by product of food production so my stuff uses what might otherwise just end up in the trash. Win-win as I see it.
This is a true statement! I couldn’t agree more!
Thank you ! for this post 🙂
Yes,yes!I agree!
Definitely a lot of food for thought.
My son is saying: mum you are doing something sensible, practical and beautiful!
Thank you once again for your insight!
Megan, that’s just about the best article heading I’ve ever read. Like so many others who have posted here, I am also relieved that so many are thinking the same thing! I’m a folk artist who works on either reclaimed fabrics or hemp. I screen print onto textiles and create all sorts of products. And yes, I’ve had my moments of not wanting to contribute to the mountains of stuff in this world. THANK YOU for showing us the important distinction. Your article has reignited my excitement for production 🙂 much love from Sydney!!
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Even though I use nearly 100% recycled materials in my work, I have also asked myself these questions… should I really be contributing to consumerism?? Because my slippers are functional and most people would probably buy something else (which may not be made so consciously) and because I love it, I keep making them.
But we can all strive to improve. Can you use more eco-friendly packaging materials (I love http://www.ecoenclose.com for biodegradable shipping bags)? Can you use recycled paper? Can you bike to the Post Office? Can you give away your scraps (try freecycle.com!) or make them into a different product?
If we all keep improving, just a little bit at a time, I think it makes a big difference.
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Hi Megan,
Thank you for writing this post.
From time to time I need to be reminded that what I create will be important in the lives of the future owners of my pieces, and that’s what gives me courage to keep moving forward, and inspiration, not only to create my pieces, but also to write descriptions for each of them, and that’s a lot of work.
Don’t stop 🙂
Raquel
I just wanted to share my reaction to the part about not having children. I’ve made the decision not to have children, for many reasons (overpopulation is a distant 5th or 6th reason). I support her realization, because you say that she really DID want children, but seemed to feel guilty about that decision because of its possible impact. I’d like to present my position for the sake of us non-parents.
You CAN’T count on spreading your message through your genetic offspring. Children are their own beings – they aren’t meant to be extensions of their parents or a vehicle for their parents’ messages, and children who are forced to hold their parents’ ideals aren’t always going to keep it going – some do, yet some break away.
But – you CAN spread your message: to your customers/niche, as a teacher, as a part of your community, and you can exemplify your ideals in how you live your life. Me, this past year, I’ve been burning to help people challenge the culture & beliefs they were raised with to find their personal beliefs and truths – and so that’s why I felt I had to comment. I know it is just a small part of your wonderful post 🙂
By the way, I loved the rest of your post, I really resonated with it: unattached as I would like to be, I do enjoy having “stuff” and sharing that “stuff” with others, and I had a hard time resolving that with feeling unattached. Now that I understand, I can help my jewelry clients share the same feeling (now, how to harmonize “challenging childhood beliefs” with handmade jewelry? hmm!)
This is a great post, thank you for writing it.
I feel compelled to add my own experiences as this article really resonated with me.
I graduated in 2002 from a Fine Art degree and really wanted to become a successful artist. Well, by 2004 I’d picked up The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and decided to quit painting for good and volunteer for Oxfam. I did this for about 8 months, all the while feeling a mixture of misery and shame that I was burdened with this selfish creative desire that never seemed to abate. It’s very hard to crush the creative spirit and once you recognise it, it has a way of haunting you. It did with me.
By 2007 I was making jewellery all the time and by 2009 I’d set up my own business designing and making handmade jewellery. Again, the conflicts you discuss above kept disturbing my production and eventually I realised I couldn’t really make a sustainable living from my work for a mixture of financial, health and environmental reasons.
I’m now a pattern designer and I hope this is the final big career change I’m going to go through.
Where once I saw my creativity as a curse, I now see it as a blessing. I’ve been through years of doubt and worry about my direction in life and how it will affect the environment and I’ve tried to fight it many times, but at the end of the day I do have something of value to offer and even if I wanted to, I can’t do anything else. You just have to make choices and decisions that are aligned to helping the world.
As Joseph Pearce says: “To live a creative life we must lose our fear of being wrong”.