Ooh, I had the "isn't your work just a drop in the bucket" conversation with somebody yesterday about my mending art! I told them that the most important thing was that it was good for my mindset, that making art with thrifted materials and rescuing items from the landfill made me feel better. And that the more we all felt better about having healthy lifestyles for ourselves and the planet, the happier we would be. Seemed to sink in, so fingers crossed..
Hey, Robin. That's such a perfect example! You instinctively did exactly what I was talking about in the post. Instead of arguing about environmental impact, you addressed what was actually stopping them (the "drop in the bucket" mindset).
And you framed it around something they could relate to: How it makes YOU feel better. That's so much more compelling than trying to convince someone their individual actions matter on a global scale.
The "drop in the bucket" thing comes up constantly, and it's usually a motivation problem, not an ability problem. People feel overwhelmed by the scale of environmental issues. But when you flip it to personal benefits: mental health, creativity, satisfaction - suddenly it makes sense to them.
Your mending art sounds amazing btw. That's exactly the kind of thing that could inspire others once they see how much you enjoy it, rather than feeling guilty about not doing it themselves.
Thank you! Yes, it was so funny to get your post in my inbox and realized that I just had that conversation like the day before. I think people concentrate on the idea that it's a drop in the bucket compared to the overall climate change issue. But actually it's a tsunami of impact in our own life. And that's what matters most because that's what we have the most control over.
Thank you for your kind comments on my art. I probably have three or four conversations a week with people about it because I take it to restaurants, cafes, festivals. It's like my little way of being an ambassador for the curiosity and creativity of sustainability...which I really enjoy.
Ooh, I had the "isn't your work just a drop in the bucket" conversation with somebody yesterday about my mending art! I told them that the most important thing was that it was good for my mindset, that making art with thrifted materials and rescuing items from the landfill made me feel better. And that the more we all felt better about having healthy lifestyles for ourselves and the planet, the happier we would be. Seemed to sink in, so fingers crossed..
Hey, Robin. That's such a perfect example! You instinctively did exactly what I was talking about in the post. Instead of arguing about environmental impact, you addressed what was actually stopping them (the "drop in the bucket" mindset).
And you framed it around something they could relate to: How it makes YOU feel better. That's so much more compelling than trying to convince someone their individual actions matter on a global scale.
The "drop in the bucket" thing comes up constantly, and it's usually a motivation problem, not an ability problem. People feel overwhelmed by the scale of environmental issues. But when you flip it to personal benefits: mental health, creativity, satisfaction - suddenly it makes sense to them.
Your mending art sounds amazing btw. That's exactly the kind of thing that could inspire others once they see how much you enjoy it, rather than feeling guilty about not doing it themselves.
Thank you! Yes, it was so funny to get your post in my inbox and realized that I just had that conversation like the day before. I think people concentrate on the idea that it's a drop in the bucket compared to the overall climate change issue. But actually it's a tsunami of impact in our own life. And that's what matters most because that's what we have the most control over.
Thank you for your kind comments on my art. I probably have three or four conversations a week with people about it because I take it to restaurants, cafes, festivals. It's like my little way of being an ambassador for the curiosity and creativity of sustainability...which I really enjoy.