Imagine my great relief to find that someone else had already written down everything that was in my head, but HE spell checked it! You know, with grammar and stuff.
I wanted to take bits and pieces of it and put it here, but once I'd picked out all the good parts it ended up being nearly the entire article. (they were my thoughts after all). So instead I'll link it here. I really hope you'll take a few minutes to read it. It's quality stuff from the founder of the Viridian design movement, Bruce Sterling.
Just a few things I want to touch on though. He mentions something that over the last few years has been bothering me more and more. As Americans have many possessions, most of it junk. I don't mean junk in the literal sense, it serves some purpose, but it is not lovely, does not inspire, and basically is worth only the dollar amount that it would cost to replace it with an equivalent product.
For example: I own a digital camera. It takes good pictures, but the design is boring, looking at it doesn't make me want to take pictures. Nobody else would look at it and feel inspired. If it broke and was insured I'd only be upset at not having it until I could get it replaced. See what I mean?
I don't remember exactly when I noticed this, must have been 6 or more years ago, but it came about at the time "antiques roadshow" was at the top of it's popularity. My father had asked me why I thought this was suddenly so popular with the average man.
I remember saying "Look at your house and the house of most of the people you know. If your fully insured house burned down what would you miss?
"Some pictures.", he replied.
"Anything else?" I asked. He had to confess that there really wasn't anything else he would miss, as long as he would be paid to replace it.
And that's exactly why there's been so much renewed interest in Antiques. I think that people realize that in the end all the plastic and aluminum that they have is basically worthless outside of immediate function. People want something to be proud of, something that doesn't need upgrades to stay relevant. Something that in seeing it, holding it, showing it to others makes them feel something.
The problem with that is that making something beautiful and unique takes time and effort. One hand made rocking chair with hand carvings will cost you what 6 generic rocking chairs will cost you at Walmart. I agree with this author, don't economize! Prioritize.
His example: You can't spend too much on a bed (I disagree, you can, but only by being silly about it). You spend 1/3rd of your life there! I myself spent years sleeping on a bed that made my back hurt. Pain every night all night and most of the day after, and all because I didn't want to buy a new mattress because mine "works perfectly well! Insanity! I finally bought one and it literally made my LIFE better.
I've been thinking about this more as Christmas nears. I don't want to give out any more plastic gifts! Of course I will, because tech is fun, and sometimes that's OK. But I'm thinking more and more about gifts that can mean something. I'm the classic problem though, would love handmade awesome things, can't always afford them. I guess the answer maybe is to buy less things, but better things.
All that is great, but it doesn't really work all the time, Which brings me to the second thing he mentions that I want to talk about, what he calls "hairshirt environmentalism". From the article:
"Another major change came through my consumption habits. It pains me to see certain people still trying to live in hairshirt-green fashion – purportedly mindful, and thrifty and modest. I used to tolerate this eccentricity, but now that panicked bankers and venture capitalists are also trying to cling like leeches to every last shred of their wealth, I can finally see it as actively pernicious.
Hairshirt-green is the simple-minded inverse of 20th-century consumerism. Like the New Age mystic echo of Judaeo-Christianity, hairshirt-green simply changes the polarity of the dominant culture, without truly challenging it in any effective way. It doesn't do or say anything conceptually novel – nor is it practical, or a working path to a better life."
For example: I know a lot of people who like to eat locally. This is a GREAT idea. If you have wonderful, fresh and local tomatoes why on earth would you eat the mealy, pink rocks they sell at the Mega-mart? But what happens if you DON'T have local tomatoes? Should you go without tomatoes then? I know Hair-shirt Greens who would say yes. What about Pineapple? It doesn't grow very well in PA, but I sure love it. Can I buy that from a Mega-mart if I can't find it local?
Like he says, the Hair-shirt green lifestyle just isn't sustainable. You'll never convince enough people to live in a state of deprivation long enough for it to have any long term effect. I'm not saying that change is hopeless by any means. I'm just saying that I think the time for extremes is over. We must find a middle path, a compromise that will allow us to move forward, and convince others to come with us. It won't work if we go alone, or drag them kicking or marching at the end of the bleak, sharp stick of environmental disaster.
I love his article, I love his suggestions. What do you think? I have lots of diverse friends, and I'm always afraid of offending someone when I write something like this, but if you read it and feel hurt or think I'm crazy I want to hear it. The best thing about the Middle Path is it lets you listen to anyone.
~Meme
P.S. I've placed some examples of what I'm talking about below:
First, teapot #1
Teapot #2
Desk light #1
Desk light #2
Which category inspires you more? Which would you like to leave to someone special when your time is up?
