Moving forward - looking back

I used to sell my art on ebay. 
Now I have a website and am celebrating my 1 year anniversary with etsy.

 

Like many artists, since I don't have an agent, I'm in the business of  self promotion. 

These days you can pretty much do anything with a camera,

a little creativity

and

the internet. 

I (personally) am simply amazed at all of the talented people out there! 

I scour page after page - creativity abounds. 

 

I predict a return to a simpler time. 
Don't worry, we will still have the internet, drive our cars and use electricity. 
I'm talking more about a spot for artists again. 
A world where there is

less of the
mass produced
and more of the

past produced. 
 

Years ago, we made the things that we needed daily. 

We grew cotton, spun it, then made our clothing, we grew our food, we milked our cows, then churned our butter, we 'fashioned' our furniture....

As I write, this is the image I just conjured up for myself.....

I never noticed it before but check out "Corn Flakes" getting in on some of the action!

Back to my point, Granny made her own soap, cooked from scratch, had a few

chickens and hog or two.....

 

So past producers would be...

soap makers

millineries

potters

pattern makers

streamstresses

furniture makers

tallow chandlers

(also known as a

candle maker.) 

Think about your worth in the 1800's as a tallow chandler, my goodness you provided light!

 

When I was about 9 or 10, my mother gave me a book that was written in the late 1800's.

The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

it was written by Margaret Sidney. 

While I wasn't a terribly studious child, I did like to read. 
Reading has always been my great escape.
This particular book is 

 about the lives of the five children who were born into poverty in a rural "little brown house."
A simpler time. 

I probably read it a dozen times when I was small. 
The book was such an important part of my childhood that

I sought out a vintage copy of my own as an adult. 

The book was full of tales of the little Pepper children - a simpler time.  The stories were how they managed to get food, mend their clothing, etc.  It was basically how a mother and small children worked together to survive. 

I still have visual images that I conjured up as a child while reading these stories. 

 

I believe my mother gave this book to me so that I knew there were others who had gone or were going through similar circumstances....poverty.   

We were poor.

We didn't look poor.

I didn't realize until a few years ago while spending time with some old classmates that others didn't

have a clue as to how 'poor' I was....to me it was so obvious,

to them....

not so much!

 

Here's a shot of my family when I was about 9 or 10.  That's me on the far left.  The little guy right in front wasn't a sibling, but my cousin, Jonathan.
To the right is my brother, Joe, Jack and little sister, Kim. 

circa 1968/69'ish
 

During this time I was reading TFLPaHTG,

I was also at the age where "playing house"

brought a great deal of enjoyment. 

My (play) house was a chicken coop! 

 

That's right, it had excellent cross ventilation,

a 'natural' dirt floor

and built in furniture. 

I swept that floor until it was down to the dirt, the hard, clean dirt.

I would have company in the way of my little brothers and sister. 

We would drink cold water and sit on the floor.  There was a lot of knocking on the door and coming in, going out, then knocking on the door and coming in, then going out.....what is it about that ritual when you are little?
 

Life was good,

Life was simple.

. 

Back to my prediction....

When I make a purchase on a site like etsy, I can view a shot of the person who made the object.  I might get a little history, "artist process" and where in the world they reside.
I don't just purchase a product,
I purchase a story. 
I purchase a piece of someone else.

I made it a point to purchase most of my gifts from several artists this year or I personally made the gifts I gave. 
This held great satisfaction in doing so. 
It was a very personal Christmas for me. 

As we begin 2013, I am making a committment to make more of what I need on a daily basis:

soap
candles
plates
bowls
cups
art

I am also encouraging all of you DIY'ers to do the same. 

Cheers!