Imbuing Culture in your Crafts
June 25th, 2009 by Owen Jones, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
One of the biggest factors that make people buy things in craft shows is because they are tourists in the area. They understandably want to have a physical object that will help them remember the place they went to once they’re back home. Therefore, it is a good idea for any craftsperson to check the location of the next show, and let his or her works be influenced by the culture of the place. If you attend craft shows and you grew up in the area, this wouldn’t be too much of a problem. But what if you are a visitor here, too?
If you are not from the area where the craft show is held, then chances are you will not have a direct affinity with the culture of the place. But this can be developed over time. Check out the works of your fellow craftspeople attending the event, and try to make friends with them. Getting close to some of them will rub off on you, and you may start to exude some of their culture over time.
That won’t do the trick by itself, of course. The only way to understand the culture of a place is to spend some time in it. Don’t hole yourself up in your booth for the duration of your stay. Explore the place in its entirety; have a short break, and look for interesting things that you can do there. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll pick up a few things.
When everything has been said and done, you’ll have to go “back to the lab” and try to integrate their culture with your own unique signature. Don’t try to lose your identity in the process! Let your techniques be influenced, but don’t try to outright copy the feel of the crafts that came from that culture.
In the end, you must always remember to avoid forcing anything. Don’t be too alarmed if your piece ends up without the feel that you wanted it to have for that culture; if you bash the culture in, you’ll end up destroying both that and your personal touch. In my opinion, the soul of an item makes it all the more desirable for people to touch and buy. But you just can’t have a soul for the object if you force the craft.
The General Thought of Festivals
June 4th, 2009 by Ian Kleine, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
There is so much to think about festivals. Sometimes you are left to ponder with the things that pertain to festivals. Their necessity, their practicality, like why do they even exist? Of course, you are left to waste at least a few minutes or even hours of your life trying to sort out this conundrum. Why a festival? What are the implications? Is there any special effect if you go into one? Should even indulge in it?
Festivals, in my dark cynical mind, are a waste of time and money. When you take on an I-hate-the-world-and-everyone-is-dumber-than-me; you get that feeling of dis attachment (which is a warning sign for you to go to your nearest shrink and have a session (or possibly four). There is a sense of dislike for any event wherein you are forced to make contact with other people or something close to that.
Another thing you might be worried about is the productivity. Hey, time is gold. And gold equates to money. Now, if you are busy frolicking around the fair area, to have yourself enjoying timetime which should have been done for making money and stuff. If you’re the type of person who thinks just that, you need to loosen up a bit and lighten up.
Seriously, money will always be there. But time is fleeting. Money is concrete. Time is abstract. Between time and money, learn which one will you use for yourself and for your family. If you have one, that is. If you do not, then prioritize and see where your life will take you.
Festivals, for the most part, are made to celebrate the different aspects of life, with what we enjoy about it. Love, life, family and food, these are the things that we know and will come to pass. But memories of a fireworks-filled sky and a carnival of festivals will always endure.