Rant

Fascist Pickles

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I ate the pickles you made today in your fascist kitchen, your fascist house. You might be a fascist if you think I don’t have a right to my own body. It’s none of your fucking business what I decide to put into it. You might be a fascist if you listen to pondets say I am citing a civil war because I have democratic ideals. You might be a fascist if you think what I believe is evil. Here’s what I believe: I believe I don’t have any right to try and change your mind. You are entitled to your beliefs, but please make sure you have facts and not just blah blah rhetoric to back you up.

I know what the church did to you. It made you believe you can judge people, that your way is the “right” way. Would Jesus let children be separated from their parents? Would he?

Would Jesus defend hate speech? Would he? Did he? Would he stand in front of a crowd of people and say things to make you hate others? You might be a fascist if think so. The double standard is right in our faces now. Girls have always had to worry about their bodily safety. Always. Now that your son has to worry about his own behaviour is actually a good thing. Maybe if he didn’t believe he’s entitled to take whatever he wants from a girl, he wouldn’t have to worry. 

If you think you have more of a say over what I do with my body than I do, you might be a Fascist. If you think you are better than others, you might be a Fascist. If you are afraid of people who don’t look like you, you might be a Fascist.

Defying Hate

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What does that mean? How can I, one person, possibly have an impact on this planet? I hear blame. Everywhere. But the truth is, I am to blame. I didn’t reach out to you. I didn’t talk to you and ask you how you are doing. I judged you before you even opened your mouth.

I’m self absorbed. I’m looking to further my own agenda. My art life. Look at me! If I turn my attention outward, I see pain. A lot of pain. And honestly, most of the time, I can’t handle it. I can’t save the whole world. Can I?

I used to think my art would heal people, heal their pasts. My glowing light and example would save those who gazed upon my creation. I’m not sure I believe that anymore. I think I’m full of shit.

And I sit on Facebook and pass judgment. Everyday I pass judgment on what you post and how you feel about things. And if they don’t agree with my view, I make you “them”. The famous “them” that separates us from each other. I put you in a box. The stupid box.

America’s Wal-Mart Mentality, or Sticking Up for All Artists Everywhere

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*steps onto soapbox* —’cause I tell ya, I’ve had it…

You all know what I mean; get it the cheapest that you can without caring where it comes from. This method of consumerism sucks for people like me; artistic, creative, mindful, with original ideas, and with excellent craftsperson skills that deserve to be compensated. This mentality is part of the reason our economy is in shambles…we lost a lot of manufacturing jobs which inturn means, Americans have lost ways to take care of their families. I’m sitting here creating my own job, but I can’t make a living if I don’t sell bags.

Too often have I heard “your bags are so expensive”. What? Oh, really?

What am I supposed to do with that? Why in the hell would someone say that in the first place? So, am I supposed to lower my prices so you can feel good about getting “a deal” and I get the shaft from earning a living? No way, man. That is not about me. My skills have value. The creation of a bag design takes hours. Should I be doing that for free? Would you tell an architect or a lawyer to give away their time for free? I don’t think so.

All of this is about values. What do you value? Let’s do a little 5th grade math, shall we:

A bag made in another country that looks like 2000 others where the person(s) doing the sewing are paid a $2 (which goes VERY far in other economies, mind you) gets bought for $4 wholesale say, and is marked up above the usual 50% retail, and sells to you in an American store for $11. Wow, what a deal.

Let’s take my lunchbag: There are less than 600 Lorraines floating around the world. I know, I’ve sewn EVERY single one over the last 4 years. I make $8.33 on each one. Add materials and overhead and I can’t even sell my bag at wholesale for under $20. Then the retail markup is 50% which puts the bag at it’s current $40. 600 bags x $8.33 = $4,998. Divide that by 4 years = $1,249.50 per year I’ve made sewing lunchbags. Now I ask you…How far does that get me in our ecomony?

So, now here we are; You-with your $11 bag, feeling all smug and superior, the Other Country seamstresses who make $2 a bag are feeling pretty good because where they live $10 a week is excellent money, and Me-who makes less than $9 per lunchbag (when one sells). Care to rethink why my bags are “so expensive”?

I work harder than anyone has any idea about. Rarely do I get compensated for the hours and hours and weeks and weeks that I have put into my art. That is going to change here pretty darn soon. I know there are people out there that care about where they spend their money and who they buy from. I hope they find me. I have Faith about my abilities earning me an honest, well-deserved living. It has been my American Dream for as long as I can remember.

Do yourself a favor—the next time you have the urge to ask an indie-artist-creative type why there “such and such” costs so much, don’t. Value their work and the time it took them to make it. And maybe take a little time to think about whether it matters to you where your items come from, or how they are made.

*steps off soapbox* 😉

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