I love the web, it’s a great source of inspiration. At the moment I am interested in marketing and in particular how we can convey the very real messages of tangible, authentic, meaningful products through an ephemeral digital medium. Some folk are doing it really well and in an increasingly digital age there seems to be a real thirst for things that bring us back to earth, even if the message is spread through digital medium. The exciting thing is that we the craftspeople have the real deal, the thing that everyone wants, the authentic grounded product with a genuine message, and with modern media we can get that message out there just as well as the big companies.
So todays inspiration is a company that started in 2009 as an ethical fashion company, something that I care deeply about. Holstee’s products were not groundbreaking but they published the manifesto above. It’s a collection of inspirational life affirming phrases pulled together from various sources, I am sure they will have been inspired by howies. They printed the manifesto using letterpress on paper made with elephant dung, it looked great, sold out and went viral. Now the ethical clothing company seems to have morphed and primarily sells letterpress excerpts from the manifesto this is the website.
Here is the real inspirational bit, they made it into a short film, what’s it selling? posters? bikes? ethical fashion? I think it’s selling a feeling, a lust for a better life that you can be part of, my new website is under development and it’s going to be different, simpler, down to earth…..watch this space.
I'm feeling that feeling these days Robin and thanks to blogs like yours and Lloyd Kahn's (who i came across via your blog) I'm finding lots of ways to feed it, listen to it. There seems to be a lot of it about at the moment. Something seems to be changing in our outlook. A certain re-balancing seems to be building momentum. Keep on posting your informative and thought provoking blog posts.
right on!
Thanks Scott & Jarrod, I think they are exciting times.
Thanks Robin…I've been stuck in a rut. This opened my eyes and mind again!
That's nice Jeff always good to find those sparks that help us move forward again
The real deal – yeah. I was doing a demo at a prep school last Saturday (in a remote corner for some silly reason), a few kids enjoyed making pencils, then one of the mothers said 'Do you make benches like that one?' It's a four legger draw-knived legs and a chestnut slab with knifed finish. It has had a hard couple of years' life out of doors in Strid Wood, by now quite blackened.She ended up buying it.
Thanks Robin, a timely reminder to do what you love and let people see your passion.
Another great post Robin, very inspiring. I think people should use that poster when they are evaluating their life. We quit our comfortable life in the UK and now live in France tryingto make a few euros with our woodcraft. We have met and become friends with some great people we have met at craft/garden fairs and our is better for it. I have recently met a woodturner who like you turns bowls on a pole lathe, his friend a blacksmith forges his tools. Both talked about you and it was obvious you were an inspiration to them.