We're living in uncertain economic times, as I have been told. Since around the time shop and home ec were cut from school curricula, we as a society have increasingly progressed away from the entrepreneurial attitudes of capitalism, and into frantic consumerism. The days of the TV repair shop are over, and even now with computers, the answer is "throw it away and buy a new one."

We, and Mother Earth, can no longer afford to live like that. We are seeing now the effects of these throwaway attitudes. We must adapt (or return) to some of that pioneer thinking which founded this country - the strong self-reliance and pride which comes in doing it yourself. DIY is a mentality that stands in opposition to consumerism (but is a strong component of entrepreneurial capitalism) - where you repair, repurpose, and recycle everything. That broken TV that you can't fix (though you gave it a good try) can become art. Those old bedsheets get chopped, then creatively dyed to become skirts and dresses.

It's a way of life that is about better - more full of quality - through knowledge and learning coupled with a self-reliant attitude. It's better living through intelligence. By learning new skills and topics, we can enhance the quality of our lives in extremely frugal ways, while protecting the environment and supporting our community.  Furthermore, by learning new skills, we better ourselves; we expand our minds and our hearts to new areas.

As an artist, this ethic falls into so much of what I do.  When I DIY it, it's mine.  Mine.  I can look at it and say, "I made that."  It's about pride in what one can do, and I have so much pride not only in my work, but in the multitude of ways in which I can create.