We did some back-to-school shopping today - essentials for my son who grew out of last years clothes. But it was a mixed experience. I couldnt connect with the stores clothing. A print may be nice, a sparkly scarf... but no. I looked at the 17 billion other pieces of clothing that looks just like everything else, and I know its made to be disposable for the masses, and I couldnt connect. Today I wore a well-worn handmade bias cut skirt with an owl embroidered on it. It has imperfections and I love it. I bought it at the Oregon Country Fair many years ago (I actually bought two), and thought maybe I needed to freshen up my wardrobe since we were already shopping for kids clothes. But I was happier with my quirky faded skirt than to be tempted by anything I saw at the store. I probably couldve bought 5 cheap skirts for the price of mine, but where will they be in a few years? blah. My skirt has character. ITs different. So anyway, Im not totally exempt from purchasing mainstream clothing every now and then- so Im not hating here, but todays experience made me feel a lot better about what I do for a living. The batiks I make are different. They stand out. Theyre cool and theyre timeless. I make them that way on purpose. Theyre the antithesis of big box stores! And Im not intently political about it (big box stores, ugh), but I know what I like when it comes to quality clothing and personal representation. So Im not going to scale the batik biz, or dilute the designs. I might do something different, but the Batikwalla batiks will stay completely handmade by me for as long as I can do it. I know they are pricier - yes, I know! and it weighs heavily on me... but they are what they are. It keeps this operation afloat. Yes, I am looking into lower priced alternatives to add to the Batikwalla collection, but my batiks will always be genuinely handmade - artistically made - by me. They bring joy to people, and today was a good reminder as to why! ~ peace ~
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 04:50:36 +0000
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