I loved the 70’s

I was a child in the 70’s so I come from an era of resourceful creativity.

Cool clip art, funky animation and lots of catchy song School House Rock surrounded me. My classroom cubbies were made from empty Ice Cream drums from Thrifty Mart. That spirit of recycled art was woven into much of our everyday experiences at school. Colorful paper chains and lanterns were classroom staples.
Finding these Eco-Labels as I sorted donations last week sparked memories and insight into who I am. I realized that imagery like this along with recycling things into new things as the labels promise played a big part in shaping me for good. They were so obviously 70’s, 1972 to be exact. Their graphic fun with an emphasis on recycling was part of a growing environmental movement back then. Encouraging the reuse of tin cans with the graphics contained therein were purposeful, practical and environmental.
My parents were born in the 40’s during World War II, in a time when reuse was necessary. Why did we ever get so far away from that reuse habit? It was so fun as a kid. I grew up steeped in my imagination because my surroundings always prompted it. We lived modestly in the 70’s when my dad was in art school. I remember us remaking a piece of aluminum foil into a crazy cat toy, it was the obvious thing to do. You’ve never seen such happy cats.
My public school education seemed creative as did the whole 70’s era. As I write this blog I become aware that I have built the studio on the fundamentals of my youth. That’s why it’s about open-ended creativity, resourcefulness and recycled art fun.
I’m not saying that life at that time was always easy or fun, there was a lot of turmoil during the 70’s. Somehow, the colorful, playful and creative expressions that surrounded our culture buffered the big stuff and helped round out the day to day. I am so excited to have found these Eco Labels, they have inspired me to connect with my roots and the endearing times of my youth. What do you remember about the 70’s?

Jemma W.
Owner