Sensitive persons only

Half of the planet’s population is female or belongs to the LBGTIQ community. The fact to be stigmatized as unvalued, most commonly results in a retirement from more active places in society. The lack of courage to speak up further isolates well educated people, and thus deprieves the public to further develop into the more refined realms of culture. We are crated equal but still have to struggle an uphill battle agains the algorithmic selection, casting us further away from visibility. Thanks to the courage of passionate fellow artist and professional writer Elaine Henry of the US, it has become more important for me to gather more thoughts for which I am trying to make it clearer to a wider audience, how important it is to continue education in as many creative fields as possible.

Risk factor Age

All of us are being dismissed after a certain amount of time from the working force. The young and the strong continue to earn their living, wheras the older population has to get by with whatever they were able to secure in their fruitful years. Either living from a pension or the goodwill of family members. In a lot of countries the mercy of a tribe is the only way to sustain an older person’s life.

Craft through pain and injury

Removed from the participitation of decision making rests a whole other way of expression. The one we are so passionate about. for a huge part of our lives. A huge amount of money and effort have been put into being educated for work. Taking that away from us causes enormous pain, which understandably makes very bitter. Like being deprived of nourishment, the negativ energy of resentment of suddenly being dismissed causes unhappiness, sickness and mental problems. Now, in western societies all things associated with any kind of suffering are taboo. The sick are being cared for in remote places, the healed are regarded with suspicion, the injured are speedily avoided.All of which is not helping a desperate situation. Enters the possibility of using one’s skills to make uniquely crafted things.

Character lost by teachers

Teaching young folks the use of their hands is suppressed. Being able to make your own things, to repair and mend, is not a goal of consumatism. The installation of a behaviour that is focussing on material problem-solving, is removed from tight schedules. It is vital for future generations facing challenging from global warming, to have the be able to apply as many crat skills as possible. Without this much of human independance is at risk.

Mix

Fiber arts

Artists like Jeung-Hura Park work with threads. Her work is a stunning example how to contribute to the beauty of life with almost nothing. In her hands the thinnest work material become fantastic objects. Just to be able to look at these wounderous colors inspires awe.

Sewing

One generation ago we had our clothes made by a seamstress. Vivid in my memory are bicycle rides with my grandmother to the other village, where she was working in her large livingroom, her small children wooshing in and out, taking my measures, discussing patterns, buttons, hemlines, collars, lace, ribbons, colors. A piece of garment ressembled a work of construction. Everything was a choice. weeks later the fittings often resulted in changes, as my body grew fast in the summer. Our seamstress was a master of her craft. Wearing her work made me proud. All the details were carefully executed and were often rewarded with admiration.

story telling

How about using the art of telling an interesting story to a present audience, isn’t that a powerful way of shareing time with one another. Theres is a huge amount of wisdom that makes for well crafted stories. One of the sthem is to describe one’s own life. The ups and downs of a contruction of identity. Blogwriting is an essential part of that. It is a profound search of explanation. How a person finds her path, how in endless hours of reflection, of reading, of understanding the stories of others makes choices available. A great part of the so called luck, which is nothing but a series of failures and the courage to stick it out. In my opinion, there is a fundamental courage, undinable partly genetic, that allows us, to move in a direction that leads to happiness. Fulfillment in my case is the result of a great deal of sacrifices, of adjustments in my efforts to do the right thing, which needed correction and had to be dismissed.

knitting

This very quiet craft is the one we tend too the longest. Making scarfs, socks, sweaters for our loved one’s gives us joy being inside during the long winter hours. Many a granny leaves her knittings on her bedside table after she is gone. For us to pcik it up and continue

wood working

Rather seldom a young person would select this material to make furniture from it for use. Maybe it is the requirement of bigger spaces that makes it less accesible, maybe the need for rather big machines to make

Clay

Of course I am eager to spread the word about the power of being able to shape the most various things from the amorphic material that is naturally found everywhere on Earth. The advantages of forming something tangible are numerous.

Conclusion

A finalizing thought is the difference in value of products being generated by a population that is considered less worthy. Craft is a superpower like any other knowledge. I specifically wrote about the connections of our hands and the brain in my blog article Hand-Verstand.

The fact that the deep value of crafts do not have the exposure of powerful companies with huge amounts of money invested in super refindes marketing strategies, makes them worth less in the eye of the public.

Encoureaging all people working in the field of crafts and art, are encouraged to create content of our values. Personally I would love to help young folks to get their writings published. You can send me your texts in German, French or English, and there is surely a way to find a good media like the “swissceramics magazine or even Neue Keramik”. Send me an email, and I am more than happy to read without judgement. Write about your life- what you think about the work of fellow ceramicists! Be part of the search for a fresh vision of a fulfilled life for the makers and the consumers and the global environment.