Craftwork (not Kraftwerk) and Giving

Part I

I am hopeful for a new renaissance.

Listen to Warren MacKenzie here and here and see his works here and here.

He is a hero of mine and his thoughts resonate with me.



Part II

This morning I went down to Northern Clay Center on Franklin looking for MacKenzie's pottery. He has a kid's table which holds pottery only available to kids under 10 and only one item per kid per month. The items are 50 cents despite being made by one of the most prominent living potters.

The reasons I am so taken by MacKenzie are his simple, but refined craftsmanship and his commercial ethics. He only charges what he would pay for his items, thinking about how much it cost him to make and how much he needs to keep up his life. He is pleased that people are able to find them at second hand stores for a quarter and charges little for his pots in hopes that people will use them day-to-day.

This reinforces some thoughts I have been having about the craft I have chosen for myself. I have been contemplating the donation of some of my services to non-profits and other organizations when I have time. The details have yet to be worked out (I don't even have a business started yet) but I imagine I could create designs to which people might donate plants and labor. I really believe that environmental conditions affect a person's/people's well being. Hopefully I will one day be able to make someone's environment better.

All-in-all I think that a renaissance that I want to be a part of is not simply one of reclaiming and expanding upon elder design ideals, but also focusing on the spirit of volunteerism.

As we age...

The paths that we have taken in life are clearer now. We are beginning to enjoy and be satisfied by the things we do and finally know that the path we tread is the right one. We also know that the things we can do can be used in a more fulfilling way than to simply generate income. After all:

"Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one." - Ben Franklin

In this spirit, I want to give respect to some people:

My friend (his blog now linked at right as "Yoshistan") is working in a very emotionally volatile place because he wants to help people who need his insights and guidance. It can take a toll on one's spirit. Be proud of him in this work. He brings self-redemption to the outcast and shunned.

My brother is in Lesotho, in Africa working to treat kids who have HIV and AIDS. He took a year out of his life in order to help people who desperately need help half-the-world away instead of simply settling into his new life in the U.S. His wife and daughter give much of themselves and their lives to support him in this work. This family epitomizes the spirit of giving. They shine a healing light on the innocent and ignored.

My dear Emily just got a new job working for the Humane Society. She could have taken a much higher paying one she was offered in Woodbury but didn't because she wanted something more fulfilling. She is a beautiful person in so many ways. I am very proud that she is my wife. She is a healer of the mistreated and voice to the misunderstood.

We all have the ability to help. They can show the way.

Labels: art, craft, pottery, respect, service