it s been funny to be someone that is always labeled with the three little letter diy in her name. i am not embarrassed. i am not one of those people who relates it to being called a hispter when you dont want to admit youre a hipster. though diy has become a selling term like eco, extreme, green or whatever over used marketing terms of the decade are out there. diy kits are in urban outfitters now. everyone is trying to be diy. whatever that means. i dont really give a shit what people think of it- in the end its not some far out term or something that has negative connotations like "hipster". its just a phrase- do it yourself, which well, is pretty fucking basic.
but what is interesting to me and maybe its just san francisco's need to be obscure. to be the first one doing something. or the only one, but diy isnt one group. one crowd. you cant pin skinny jeans and flannels to diy. or pink haired riot girls who wear harijuku skirts they made. or moms in hand knit bad santa sweaters. on your dad in his carpentry overall bibs. or me in my tore up def leppard shirt, doorknocker hoops and a work apron. its all diy.
as for the term queen of diy. maven. high priestess. whatever ive been dubbed in press, hey, its all a compliment because in the end all it means is i get to be queen of making stuff. there is nothing snobby, elitist, hipster or anything about it that can tie me to one specific crowd, style or interests. thankfully. and in the end, i freaking LIVE to make things, help other people make things and am addicted to it. case in point, im on vacation and so far i have redone oliver's new bars bathrooms and spent 2 days prepping for it (props, wood, etc), ive redone workshop a bit, made terrariums, helped my bff plan her house out and am designing two more commercial spaces. i def have a problem sitting still. i can take time off, watch some tv and take a ferry ride but thats just so damn boring to me.
anyway, point of all this blabbing being, i am still mystified by diy and how its used for so many things, groups, etc. its a descriptor for alot of things. and not a bad one. but what is weird about diy culture and why i think people dig what i do- is that it is separatist. people stick to their own cliques within it. there are the punk and rock kids who make their own fliers and follow in the footsteps of epic rockers before them by making their own posters, recording their own music. then there are the crafty mom types who have craft meet ups. there are the carpenters and designers, who sometimes dont mingle at all. i can go on and on. but its weird.
mind you, i have never been a fan of over girly crafting. i think i am trying to build this world of diy around me that i cant seem to find. one that fits just about everyone, isnt too girly (after all, its boring without some dudes), incorporates the rock n roll and all these genres into one culture. where i can hang out with my dudes who make shit outta wood in the day, then hang with my friends band and make em posters and merch, then teach a sewing class that hopefully has atleast one dude in there, then make some terrariums and then drink some beer that hopefully i made while my foodie friends cook up some tasty eats. i should be able to mix it all up alot easier. ive had to build my own little custom world of what i want and damn, its taken me for-fucking-ever. ive had to learn like everything. open workshop and be some crazy nutball that tries to bring all these groups together. im just over the too cool for school thing. the lack of mixing up crowds of folks who dig making stuff. the fear of sharing some creative juices. no one invented any of this, we all take cues and learn from one another. but sometimes i feel like people are trying really hard to guard it all or stay within their crowd. boring. snooze. take a risk people.
i started workshop and live my life by very similar mantras and beliefs. they re simple. be real, put yourself out there even if if its gets you hurt or walked on sometimes, make stuff, have fun, listen to lots of rock & roll and be positive. diy should be a culture that just has no drama or attitude or none of the cliquey bullshit. even with super girly crafty ladies, i still rock that side sometimes and offer classes in that realm, because its part of the puzzle.
im ranting. i know. i just have some days where i feel like no one gets it. where its all these separate segmented moments of different friends, different crowds or having to explain why im so forward or a care bear hugging it out with everyone. maybe im a weirdo. maybe im smart. i dnt know man. i just know what i like and i wish more people were as dedicated to the same ideas & could geek out on it all more rather than worrying so much about being cool or being guarded.
No comments:
Post a Comment