Last year I started our monthly Spotlight on 12 material genres we reuse at the studio and some areas to explore about them. We explore what we’re do with them, what local artists are doing with them, where they come from and whether they’re recyclable or not.
As we’ve queried each month I’ve been getting more curious about the materials thinking about how they are produced and only recently, what their origins are.
I was surprised that I hadn’t known the very beginning of where plastics come from. I knew that they are largely man-made but there had to be a beginning. I discovered that they are often made from oil that is extracted from the deep recesses of the ocean and land. Oh my! I think of how much is made of plastic in our day to day lives and further how much is made for single uses like various plastic packagings, zip-loc baggies, utensils, water bottles and on and on. That’s a lot of oil to benefit all of us people. It’s left me thinking that I can do more, we can all do more by at least using things more than once and with care.
I know there is so much to do to cut down initial uses all together but I am thinking of the uses we have already in our lives as we we shop.
Thoughtfulness is a beginning, being aware of the origins of things from our beautiful earth, she always gives with love and the very least we can do is appreciate and relish the gifts she shares. A tin can comes from metal that is mined, a can has so many reuse possibilities-if nothing else it’s a pencil holder.
In our consumerism we forget to do what Marie Condo, author of The Life Changing Magic of Tiding Up does and inspires in us, to thank and bless the things we have while we have them. We can be proactive by finding ways to use then reuse them before they must pass on. Marie uses shoe boxes with out the lids to organize drawers. This use concern isn’t just about plastics, or any other material genre we focus on, its about all the materials that are intended for single or temporary use. Try reuse at home, if you have a box, make it a play thing or use it to organize or share it with a friend who may be moving.
The things we have, are gifts while we have them. Let’s thank our Mother Earth for always giving to us with open arms. We can show appreciation with our mindful uses. At the studio we reuse things to make art, sharing a piece of ourselves with the word. Art makes the world more beautiful, that’s a great way of saying thanks.