Greer and Black/Burisch

Greer

Betsy Greer was the author of this text. You can tell by simply reading the article that she is very passionate about both craft and being "a voice" in the world. She has opinions on things, like the war, and enjoys making a point through craft instead of protesting. It's a new way of protesting. By doing a quick search I found out that she has an M.A. in sociology, but it seems like she spends most of her time freelance writing. Not sure if she's writing about sociology based things. Right now, she's working on labor rights issues. I think the purpose of writing this essay is to give a background of "craftivism". The essay is short but she gives a background on how she came up with the idea, the struggles that she had with others using the word, and then her coming to peace with others using the word. I think she saw something wrong with the world she was living in and wanted a way to express that. She said in the essay that she had tried protesting, but it didn't feel right. This was a way that worked for her, and apparently, a way that worked for many other people as well. Others are using this way to protest and "speak out". Another motive for writing this essay may have been to show others a new way to get their opinions out. The writer assumes that the readers of this essay have something to say about the world. They're political and they're not satisfied with the way that they have been speaking out. I see the writer trying to change the way people view the world. You can see this when she's talking about watching the Halloween parade in New York. She's describing how the people just look forward and don't interact. That's why she starts the knitting circles and how she starts with craftivism. I think she wants people to start being more social and intimate. The war on terror seems to be the most important social issue to her. She brings it up multiple times and does anti-war craft. The war is what drives her to create "craftivism" in the first place.

Black/Burisch

Both the writers of this text are very interested in using art to make a political stance or a political statement. Going off of that, I think they're also interested in the places that display this craft and how it is displayed- they talked a lot about how different museums displayed things in an unproductive way. After doing a google search on both of these writers I found out that Anthea Black writes a lot on craft in regards to sexuality and on other political topics as well which was expected. Nicole Burisch does much of the same stuff. She focuses on contemporary craft and craft theory. I think the writers want the readers of this text to see craft as a way to express yourself in a really effective way, but to be weary about the places in which the craft is displayed. They obviously both participate and enjoy craftivism, but it's also obvious that the works can be taken in the wrong way when displayed ignorantly or without information or a workshop along with the exhibit. I think that similar to the other essay they have in mind future crafters or crafters that have something to say politically as their readers. Also, people who work in museums or other places that display art, like galleries, may be interested in reading this text in order to be knowledgeable about craftivism. The writers give many examples of projects that the readers could participate in, like the Pink Tank project or the Peace Knits banner. These are examples of people working together democraticly toward a common goal. They also give examples of work being done individually like the knitted land mines. Various historical and social issues seem important to the writers, but like the above text, it seems like the War on Terror is at the front. Anti-war craft seemed to be the center of this text; all of the projects mentioned had an anti-war message.

In my opinion, craft does seem to be a good medium for activism. It is effective for people who want to keep something going. For example, in "Craft Hard Die Free" they talk about archiving the work of Pink Tank with a video. That is forever remembered then and does make a huge public display without the yelling. Although protests can be called peaceful, I think a lot of yelling and screaming is not entirely peaceful. Creating a craft, especially doing it with many people, does show a political message and a powerful one at that. Stitch 'n Bitch and DIY Trunk Show are both organizations that are all over and have a message. These organizations have tons of people participating in them and that makes their messages strong and loud.

Part Two

When I worked on the lolcat I feel some similarities as I do knitting because both are basically new to me. Trying to learn to knit again was kind of frustrating; looking up things online is much different than having my grandmother there instructing me and helping me along when I mess things up. Similarly, working with Photoshop was completely new to me. It was difficult for me to use even though we had instructions there. Also, although the lolcat was something fun to make in comparison to writing a paper or doing school work, it almost felt like school work because we were working in classroom. Also, I think since I do so much school work on my laptop, it felt like that too. So based on medium, it felt like work to me. On the other hand, working with the yarn and knitting, doesn't feel as work-like to me. Although it's challenging for me, I feel a connection to my grandmother while I'm knitting and enjoy telling her about the project. She gets excited knowing that I'm trying to knit. It's something we have in common. I had a more cozy feel with knitting than working on the lolcat. I think that digital craft can definitely exist. Someone can easily make something online that has a use and that they enjoy making as well. Just because I don't find working on a computer "cozy and crafty" others might. And if you look at digital craft as a sort of craftivism, I'm sure you could find tons of examples. Online cartoons, blogs, online edited photos are just a few examples that I can think of right now.