What is Craftivism? Division over the Definition Explodes an Etsy Team
Now, this may read as a little gossipy, since I, myself, am a member of this team (for now, the reasons for which you’ll soon see), but I think these recent struggles within one group of crafters are important to share, because they say a lot about where our contemporary culture is right now, politically, socially, even globally.
You see, the Craftivism Etsy Team recently had a really big fight, so big that a lot of us actually left the team. Feelings are still hurt, and a lot of those who are left for now are left wondering exactly what our team is, after all, and what it actually stands for.
What did we fight about, you ask?
We fought about the definition of craftivism.
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Etsy Teams are groups of etsy sellers who come together because they have something in common, anything from what they sell to where they live to what they believe. Some Etsy Teams are loosely structured, some are highly structured, but all, however casual or organized, have a profile, a mission statement of sorts. Here’s the Team Craftivism profile:
The Etsy Craftivism Team is a team of progressive Etsyans who believe that craft and art can change the world. Some of us use our work to carry messages of protest and political activism. Others believe that the act of making craft can be an act of resistance. Still others see that by buying and selling directly from the maker we are challenging the all pervasive corporate culture that promotes profit over people. Some of our members make t-shirts, jewelry, pottery, and art with creative,thought-provoking messages. Others spin yarn, sew, hammer, forge, glue, knit, knot, alter and sculpt with an eye towards creating new forms of commerce and the making of goods. We gather to learn about and promote each other’s work; to learn about how art and craft are being used as acts of resistance and change around the world, and to creatively join forces in order to spend less, sell more, and empower each other so that we can work towards a more hopeful, thoughtful future.
Sounds good, right? And it is good–this is a good mission statement, and a good team. I became a Craftivist because I believe in DIY as personal empowerment, that instead of relying on the mass-market commercial culture, we can be in charge of the literal creation of our own wants and needs. I was also interested in how others utilized the act of craft to struggle for change, or achieve power, or practice resistance. Please forgive me–I’m an academic.
The problem arose very recently when the team leadership, during a virtual meeting, just sort of mentioned, in the context of another discussion, that the Craftivism Team has a liberal political agenda.
Yep, a specific political agenda. And the leadership also seemed quite surprised to hear that a LOT of team members not only had no idea that the Craftivism Team was even supposed to be politically liberal, but that these members were themselves not politically liberal.
Indeed, we had some right-wing craftivists on our team. Some were so offended by the immediate conversation that they left the team then and there, but as others stuck around, and the discussion continued over email over the course of a few days, several team members suggested that the definition of craftivism not be so tied to a political agenda (yes, you caught me, I’m one of these members).
What is craftivism, if it is tied to a specific political agenda? Well, it’s not only limited to American politics, but to one brand of American politics. It’s uninterested in how other political activists, other citizens in other countries, themselves use the act of crafting as activism. It’s implying that much of the work of crafting–buying and selling directly from the maker, challenging corporate culture, tying a work to a thought-provoking message–is necessarily politically liberal within the American system of politics. And I don’t think that’s true.
Our leadership thinks it is, though. Whatever craftivism the word means, Craftivism the Etsy Team is remaining (for now) implicitly (though still not explicitly, I believe) tied to a liberal political agenda, and the team profile is meant to be read through such a lens. I’m not sure what procedure the leadership is now going to use to vet potential members to make sure there’s no more right-wing craftivism in our midst, so perhaps we’ll fill back up again before things come again to a head. I might stick around, because I really am interested in crafting for change, and I actually am politically liberal (although I don’t think craftivism itself has to be). It would be fun, perhaps, to branch out and form my own etsy team focused around an idea of craftivism that’s less limited politically or geographically…
But another etsy team already has that Craftivism name.
What do you think craftivism means?
hello,
I am a new member of this group, and no, it was not stated that this group would find itself tied to american liberalism when i joined. First of all, I think if we are to consider ourselves craftivists at all, we must let go of the idea that we need a “leader”. Sure, this etsy group was formed with a certain intent by one person. But the term was coined long before this. Craftivism does not belong to one person. It belongs to thousands of artists around the world, many of whom don’t live in the USA (where american liberalism, or the term “liberal” is not one they wished to be associated with.)
Craftivism and Liberalism do not go hand-in-hand, and we cannot force this. One person does not have the right to define what craftivism means, even if they decided to name their etsy group after it. So I ask that we, as a group be able to decide what our mission statement is, and we let go of this idea that we have a “leader/founder”?
I don’t think craftivism should be tied to any specific political ideology, and that’s why I don’t like the term liberal. While I do not think it should be tied to a certain ideology, I do think that craftivism is inherently about radical craft action- be it the specific content of your work, the materials you use, or the space and place where you present/perform it. To me, it is about challenging the current status quo, and the status quo happens to be conservative, right wing, patriarchal, environmentally destructive, homophobic, racist…. etc, etc, etc. So I do not think you can be a “craftivist” if you support the (current) status quo. So obviously right wing conservatism does not mesh well with craftivism.
I’m not part of the Craftivism team, and while I have one product that might be defined as craftivist (my Yes We Can perfume) I would say that I haven’t really gone that direction. It’s not that I don’t have strong feelings,I’m decidedly a liberal, but I do have people in my life, some whom I love, some whom I respect, and some whom I love AND respect who oppose my views for valid reasons based on their life experience, an experience that differs profoundly from mine.
Politics are a slippery and infinitely changeable slope. But they are also, inevitably, a big part of activism - which is the root of “craftivism.” How you feel today may change, and ten years from now you may feel just as strongly about the opposite perspective. US populations do get more conservative as they age on a spectrum, and we are all aging as we sit here typing.
For the sake of the team, I would suggest that you let people have their own politics and use those politics within the constraints of US and international law (nothing promoting something outright illegal, but if its immoral by someone’s standard leave it be unless it might get the team shut down.) One of the great lessons to learn in politics is that the people who disagree with you have the same rights you do - and they’re not too happy about you having those rights, either.
You may need to name a cause when you’re doing your craftivist work, but perhaps beyond explaining why the cause is important to a given person, it might be wise not to discuss it further. While a lot of people believe expressing all their anger at someone else’s ideas or conditions, there’s some pretty strong disagreement. Reference: http://library.adoption.com/articles/does-venting-your-anger-help-the-answer-may-surprise-you.html
If people are mad, unless it directly threatens their health or business in some clearly demonstrable way, it’s best they direct their attentions elsewhere.
As an aside, it might be useful to start a project on the history of craftivism as a collaborative project so that people can get together and mend their fences. Conservatives can look for needlepoints or other examples of historic conservative leaders, liberals can comb through archives of the 60s and you can all share where the seeds of craftivism began.
Eeek! Sounds like this is a private argument that’s now been brought out in public… a gentle suggestion from me - perhaps it would be best to take this argument back into the private sphere? Group storming, norming, and re-creation are always cyclic and I’ve found that groups storm and recreate/re-define more productively within a private sphere.
[...] which is pretty interesting. There’s a summary and a nice long comment thread going on at Crafting a Green World. Please have a read of that [...]
This specific issue aside (I don’t sell on Etsy and have no vested interest in the outcome of the argument profiled here): I think because things like environmentalism and DIY are associated with tree-hugging-hippie-liberal-blah-blah-blah in a lot of people’s minds, there is an assumption that all participants feel the same and represent a left-wing agenda.
We had this discussion recently with a friend; my husband and his friend brew beer together and the friend - who owns and lives on his own farm - wanted to start growing organic hops and barley for brewing. Organic farming is something else that a lot of folks associate with the tree-hugging-hippie-liberal-blah-blah-blah agenda; and if that’s what you think, you’d probably not believe that this friend listens to Rush Limbaugh and votes Republican every chance he gets. We don’t. But the craft of brewing and the principles of sustainable farming are a place where we can come together and share in something positive.
I see DIY, crafting, environmentalism, sustainable living, etc. as places where left and right can meet for a common purpose (betterment of all) rather than as movements to empower liberals and draw a dividing line.
Wow, I was just writing about using craft for social change on my own blog and wish I’d known about this discussion before.
Going back to Julie’s question about the definition of craftivism, I’d like to agree with Betsy’s definitions. Using creative activities for positive change might not always mean the same thing to people with different political beliefs, but there can certainly be some overlap. Crafters who might not participate in the same act of protest might very well cooperate in charity efforts. I think it’s fair to consider this type of activity craftivism too.
There are bound to be conflicting special interests within any group, but isn’t this tolerable as long as there’s a larger commitment to engaging in constructive, thought-provoking statements/activities through handmade goods?
Just my two cents! I have no verdict on the argument/discussion not having witnessed it, but I am happy to learn of the Craftivism Etsy team–bickering or not, it’s good to know that the spirit is there.
Craft as a skill set is politically neutral, meaning you can make work that carries any message political or not. But alas there are many ways to view craft and indeed activism.
Craft as a medium, with a rich history of political dissent, is unquestionably rooted in a socialist tradition in both Great Britain and the United States. This is well documented by Historians such as Eillen Boris, Gillian Naylor, Pamela Todd, etc. William Morris was a vocal member of the socialist party! Perhaps you may not see the linage from the current craft (DIY) movement as related to the historical Arts and Crafts movement, but I see many similarities in them. The largest comparison that can be made is that they are both reactions against “the system” meaning industry and corporatism.
I think it is easy to conflate craftivism with a political ideology because they seem to have similar goals. I don’t think I would be opposed to anyone using that word (which I have invested in as well), as long as their intent was social change, regardless of politics. Using craft to achieve social change = craftivism. Get out your pocket dictionaries…;-)
Thanks to Betsy for weighing in, she if anyone has been the keeper of the craftivism code, but it is clear from this conversation that language is plastic. No one can own a definition. And it is true that the general consensus of use will ultimately win out, even if you have the righteousness of St. Obama, or St. W. Bush on your side.
I can’t resist mentioning, in the last line of the mission statement… “join forces in order to spend less, sell more,” this seems a bit contradictory to me.
Perhaps my recent essay “The New Craftivism” would be of interest, because I think that almost everyone is using the word craftivism incorrectly, and that it can describe a much different practice that uses craft in activist schemes without the influence of commerce. Check it out:
http://www.conceptualmetalsmithing.com/2009/03/new-craftivism-or-real-legacy-of-craft.html
Best,
-Gabriel
Just wanted to draw your attention to one more early example of craftivism that pre-dates this discussion.
In 1889 Ellen Gates Starr and Jane Addams started the Hull House which was founded on radical philanthropic principals that included living in the community to be served, believing in the dignity of all people (and according the proper respect to them), and working against poverty and lack of opportunity for depressed people. The Hull House supported many political, educational, and social activities. Sometimes these themes co-mingled as in the many craft/skill based educational programs designed to give people the opportunity to better their lives and community through artistic and economic freedom. For her life’s work Jane Addams received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. At no time before or since in history, has a craft proponent received such a prestigious honor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Addams
I long for the day when a craftivist can be worthy of a Nobel peace prize again. We should ask ourselves if what we are doing in our work and in our lives really does make the kind impact worthy of a Nobel Prize.
“Be the change you want to see in the world.” - Mahatma Ghandi
-Gabriel
All these comments are great!
I’m working on putting together a craftivist history so maybe problems like this won’t crop up again. The term is in the public domain and I’m so happy to see it so!
As an idea that has been my baby and watching it to see where it goes, I’m working on putting together resources, photos, and words together so craftivism.com can become a resource itself for issues like this.
If you have anything you’d like to pass on or any questions about that project, please feel free to email me: betsy@craftivism.com
And keep discussing and challenging each other (nicely, please!)
x
betsy
This is interesting. I think the idea of Craftism is a great one and it kind of annoys me that it seems to be owned by those with a libral agenda.
Don’t assume that just because an artist or crafter is green, recycles, and has activist tedancies that that person is liberal. There are a few of us conservative artist/crafters out there. It would be nice to just keep politics out of it and just make stuff.