What is Fodder?!

What is fodder?!

It is the stuff, the raw materials, the whatever you find that catches a spark, that makes you think.

Fodder:

1. 1 :  something fed to domestic animals; especially :  coarse food for cattle, horses, or sheep
2. 2 :  inferior or readily available material used to supply a heavy demand

So if you thought fodder was food (as I have been told) you are indeed correct.  But it is also used as this kind of fun word for stuff. And I suppose reusable and recyclable materials could easily be considered inferior and certainly readily available.

So why do I use the word fodder?  Because it's playful, because it reminds me that one of the things I love most about the stuff I collect is that it gets me thinking (and playing).  Because art materials can feel precious, but fodder is for the activity, the exploration, the discovery. Fodder is part of the process, not materials that need to be made into something great.  

Sometimes fodder is great on its own, sometimes it's ability to teach is greater that our ability to turn it into something else.  The new idea is greater than the new thing.

Fodder does not take itself too seriously, because without you it may just be garbage. And after all you can not take yourself too seriously when creating with ‘garbage.’

This is the beautiful place, the place with no pressure, the place that is all about process and discovery.

Without exploration how can we find the new great land of ideas or places or created things?  You must go on the journey.   The journey that will once in awhile rest or rejoice in the land of beautiful artwork, perfectly stitched garments, flawless words, design that transcends, and when you arrive there rest and rejoice, but continue on the journey.  And do not take the journey in anticipation of these blissful moments, but in each moment that will bring you to and from them.  

So this is fodder to me, the things that accompany me on the journey, the things that make me think, the things not so precious that encourage me to be not so afraid to try, things I can delight in and stumble with and occasionally throw away.  So jump in!  Into the garbage can of inspiration, of motivation, of new ideas and non-judgment and experimentation; the messy thought provoking stuff that we almost threw away that someone else did throw away.  Venture into the thrift store, your closet, the pile of whatever you have ignored for years and PLAY.  Nevermind creativity, art, making, finishing, achieving. 

Just go on the journey.

A Year of Reuse

Without naming it as such, I have been a creative reuse artist since college, always using thrifted and reclaimed materials.  I grew up in a creative reuse household, living with antiques and secondhand furniture and clothing both out of necessity and I believe my mother’s own ethic of value and creativity.  I am proud to say that in the seven years my husband and I have lived in our home we have furnished it almost entirely from secondhand sources and have not purchased new any major pieces of furniture.  

The one commodity that I have, until recently, been almost entirely dedicated to buying new was clothing. Perhaps in part because I grew up in so many hand-me-downs, I became as an adult almost unable to stand the idea of wearing someone else's garments. This does not however mean I paid a high price for what I purchased.  I have always been a chronic sale rack shopper a frequenter of places like Marshalls and TJ Maxx and I am even afraid to say no stranger to grabbing a shirt or sweater at Target when running in for ‘necessities.’  As a result, I have amassed a fairly random collection of clothing that often suffers from poor quality and henceforth I am always looking for new pieces to replace the style that’s not quite right and the piece that got a hole in the sleeve way too soon.  

It finally occurred to me that this kind of shopping was not satisfying and did not seem to jibe with the more sustainable ethic I have long been trying to cultivate in the rest of my life.  So in March of last year, 2015, I decided I would not purchase any new clothing for the rest of the year, thrifting and remaking only.  I made it to the beginning of August.  Not bad for a first attempt, but as the rest of the year carried on and I began to fall back into my old shopping habits I realized that I really wanted to make a significant change in this area of my life.    

So here I am again, as of January 1st 2016 pledging not to purchase any new clothing for an entire year.  Anything purchased must be from a secondhand source.  

I am enthusiastic about this project because I see it as a way of redesigning my relationship to clothing and consumer responsibility. And as a creative project.  I grew up in front of a sewing machine but there is plenty of skill I have yet to learn, this challenge will definitely offer that opportunity.  I am counting on Beth Huntington to help me, her great blog, The Renegade Seamstress and published book are fabulous resources on remaking thrifted and otherwise unwearable garments.

In addition to clothing I am also tagging on art and other creative materials, all must be purchased from secondhand sources.  This is to further challenge myself as a sustainably conscious artist, and in all truthfulness to force myself to use up much of the ‘junk’ I have been collecting for years.

In this space I will share my progress and projects, but keep in mind this is an experiment so I am not entirely sure what that will look like yet.  I don’t necessarily plan on posting regular tutorials on how to convert your husband’s old shirt into a smart pencil skirt, there are already some wonderful sources doing that.  What I envision more are ‘food for thought’ style posts and projects, a bit more about the process and maybe the great links I find when I do finally get around to cutting up those old shirts.

So please wish me luck and if you are so inspired share your own ideas, you can join me here and on instagram #ayearofreuse