Hungry for Slower Days and Simpler Living?
We love the idea of slowing down a little, especially as market season ramps up to full speed. But we’re not the first to consider simplifying their lives. The #slowliving and #consciousconsumerism movements have been percolating for years…brewing in the commonplace realities of burn-out, mindless convenience, and the unrelenting day-to-day slog. There is a growing desire to slow down and rebuff the societal expectation to rise-and-grind. It has grown into something more substantial, something that is taking a foothold in our culture. Do you feel it?
Read here for 20 Practical Tips for Slowing Down.
Among other things, the slow living movement has brought about an appetite for a different kind of marketplace — one that recognizes and affirms the value of your local handmade economy, one-of-a-kind goods, and quality handicraft.
Shopping handmade cannot single-handedly procure a blissfully slow and soulful life. (We’re not sure any one thing can accomplish that!) So how can handmade goods cultivate a simpler lifestyle? In short, the ecosystem of slow living usually involves a few common elements — a present mind, thoughtful purchasing, and deliberate contentedness. Let’s take a moment to consider these elements:
There is a time-tested force that has long grounded humankind, urging us to stop and smell the roses. That age old thing? Beauty.
Beauty has a way of slowing us down and drawing us back to the present from our faraway musings (or sometimes paralyzing anxiety) of the unknowable future. An encounter with beauty can tether us to the current moment like nothing else can — allowing us to experience life more fully and relish connections with others. A breathtaking vista, the crackling of a campfire, your child’s first words! But don’t also miss the charm of a handmade mug or the comfort of a wild and rustic crust on a sourdough loaf. These bits of beauty can bring a bit of cheer to the routines of daily life. An intricate handwoven blanket that keeps grandmother warm at family dinner. A delicate hand-illustrated card on the fridge, sent from a loved one afar. Beauty should be grand, and it should also be small. Either way, it routinely draws us into the present and helps us enjoy and savor the moment…if you’re willing to be moved by it.
There is much to be said about conscious consumption and its deep effect on the pace of our lives. Shopping handmade from small businesses is one way to connect us to our purchases meaningfully.
This is how it tends to happen: We’re at a market, and something ineffable draws us to a certain booth. We take the time to select the item from a number of choices. We resonate with the maker, their style, their materials, their story. We connect with the person who made the thing — either just in being drawn to their goods, or by conversing a bit or at length. And when we spend our hard-earned dollars on thoughtfully-made goods, we’re less likely to discard that item in a few months, or even a few years. We’re more likely to choose maintaining the item over upgrading…repairing it instead of throwing it away. We’re more likely to place that item on our shelf for regular use and enjoyment. We’re more likely to revisit that small business for a refill, or to purchase another as a gift for a loved one. We’re likely to make fewer, more quality purchases, over many, quick, cheap, and convenient buys. Add to all that the quality and greater degree of accountability in small-batch production. More time and attention are spent on materials, on ingredients, on craftsmanship, and on customer care. These elements cultivate a greater confidence in bringing that item into your life the and lives of your loved ones. Not to mention, becoming a patron of small businesses is a pretty neat thing in this day and age.
Last in our list of slow-and-soulful living how-to’s — is the elusive matter of contentment.
There is a common siren song in our culture, it’s sickly sweet melody drawing us in and breaking down our defenses. Its strains promise a contentment that manifests in having more things — newer things, nicer things! The journey of slowing down starts with a detox from this illusion. And discovering that contentment doesn’t even come from finally having “the right” things. Things are things. It’s our relationship to those things that tends to determine the presence of contentedness in our lives. A helpful question might be, what does this thing cultivate in my life? Does it cultivate a desire for more things? Or for more connection with life and the people in it? A handmade item can cultivate a love and appreciation for beauty and skilled handiwork. It can stir up a joy in supporting our local communities. It can create a deep delight in something’s daily use, sharing it around the table, gifting it to a friend, handing it down to a grandchild. Or watching something wear down over time from heavy use, developing that rougher, imperfect patina…reminding you of all the years past. It quickly becomes less about the item itself, and more about connecting to life and beauty in all of its complexity and simplicity. You learn to enjoy what you have and who you have to share it with.
Slow and soulful living isn’t just a purchase away. It’s a thoughtful shift in thinking, buying, and being.
It’s an art, a skill, a lifestyle. It’s not just for the design-types, artists, hippies, or the affluent. It’s for all who desire some degree of connection and beauty in their life.
Shopping handmade may not be a magic wand for achieving a slower or more soul-filled life. But we are deeply confident that it can be an avenue to experiencing beauty, enjoyment, and connection — with your community, your loved ones, and yourself.
So, here’s to the slow and soul-filled summer ahead!
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