A recent post here by Heather got me thinking about a few organizations that work with individuals that have been through tough times express their myriad emotions in a creative (and sometimes therapeutic and/or meditative) way.

Fundacion Solaridad is one such organization in Chile. Founded decades ago in a tumultuous political situation, it began with the mission “to increase the earnings, market insertion and social participation of those people, families and groups who, by their own efforts, seek to overcome poverty and improve their quality of life by producing handicrafts and non-industrial objects in autonomous workshops and microbusinesses.”

While the above image speaks towards a positive future, some of the images are more grim, depicting the scores of missing individuals and what happened to them during the reign of Pinochet.

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Another group that I greatly admire is Fine Cell Work, who teaches needlepoint to inmates allowing them to acquire a skill as well as keeping them busy during downtime.

I get asked a lot why I think craft is political. To me the answer lies in the old adage that “the personal is political.” By expressing our inner discontent with the state of the outside world via creative paths, we rechannel those negative emotions into more positive ones. By choosing to make something with our own hands vs. buying something pre-made, we are creating our own tiny revolutions. (Yes, someone does make the wool -in most cases, because you can make your own!-, but if we choose to buy wool that’s produced ethically then we are helping handmade and ensuring the livelihoods of those like us) By walking into a store and saying “I can make that” and then recreating something similar, then we are becoming our own designers. By choosing to purchase something handmade by a person, we are raising a tiny fist to the big giant corporate world saying “creativity makes a difference.”

It makes a difference not only in our own lives in our own comfortable homes, but also in the lives of those who are not as lucky.

Jimbo is a semi-retired patent agent in Spokane Washington who whittles. His blog chronicles his effort to fulfill his dream of rebuilding the family home:

My dream in life since 1953 when my dad died was to own our property again on Deadman Creek (we say “crick”) and in October of 2000 we were able to buy 30 acres of the place back. Now I’m doing what I can to build a cabin to replace our house which is no longer there. One thing I’m doing to support the building project is hand carving wood crochet hooks from branch wood I collect from the ranch.

Crochet hooks

Hand carved buttons

Wall hanging

Find out more about Jimbo and his whittling adventures by visiting his blog:

Jimbo’s Front Porch