Entrance Slip #2

Hello twins.

The following is a response to an excerpt from a book on reviving ancient technologies and inventing new ones, written by Vancouver artist Sharon Kallis.

I immediately connected with her discussion of awakening the consumer's mind. This internal line of questioning about where our products come from, who made them, and how they got here is a way of thinking that lies dormant in many consumers—including myself. Upon reading, I realized that I've been blindly fulfilling the consumer role without considering the production half of the system. For example, when shopping for food at a local market, I don't stop to consider the backstory of the tomato or avocado in my hand. I rarely ponder whether a product is made by humans or machines, or if it's produced sustainably. I agree that modern society is overrun with consumerism and that a paradigm shift to focus on the production aspect would be beneficial. Encouragingly, there has been a growing movement to become more aware of the production practices behind the food and fashion industries, which is promising for the future.

I wholeheartedly agree with her point about the intrinsic power and confidence gained when you take the time to craft an item. As a blind consumer, I often don't consider learning how to make something on my own instead of purchasing it. However, on the rare occasions where I have crafted an item for someone, there's a fulfilling satisfaction that is unrivalled. I only wish that I exercised this option more frequently in my daily life.

As someone with a self-proclaimed inability to tie knots, I'm a bit apprehensive about tying these ropes on my own. I may require some additional help with the rope-making, as I believe the experts in these videos make it look much easier than it is. Still, I'm excited to learn how to make my first rope as it's a helpful skill to know. I've had several students who enjoyed knitting and crocheting and would bring their tools to class. They enjoyed showing off their creations and even offered to make me some, which I genuinely appreciated. For example, one of my students offered to knit a small calculator I could display on my desk as a math teacher.

Thanks for reading,

Josh