User:Danibanaani/Making is connecting

Making is connecting

Project theory notes incl. links

Making is connecting

by David Gauntlett

Chapter 2

The meaning of making 1: Philosophies of Craft

• Craft & art are seen separated
• Where craft is seen as less creative
• Peter Dormer
  • 'Having ideas' art vs. making objects and 'creativity' is divorced from knowledge
• Richard Sennett
  • Craft is unity of body&mind

-> The opinion is 'art' which is seen as superior and David Gaunlett and his sources say craft is much more 'creative' and under appreciated and secretively 'better' than art since you posses knowledge and you don't need validation. In which I disagree loads of artist don't need or want validation and admire almost people who do posses the knowledge, the artist is not just the one with having ideas but also makes, there is not much difference however some people don't see value of a craftsman but not everyone shares that view.

• Thinking & feeling is a port of making (not a machine)
• The joy of making
• Ellen Dissanayake
  • Art 'needs' validation vs craft 'who doesn't care'

John Ruskin

• John Ruskin
  • Love for gothic architecture, thinks the workers had creative input
  • Slave to work; precision by line & rule
• William Morris
• Clive Wilmer
• About the capitalist efficiency industrial working method
• Adam Smith
  • At first praised the new method, later worried about the unstimulating specialization so the worker can't evolve but rather becomes ignorant/lazy/stupid

The Division of labour

• Karl Marx
  • The worker becomes alienated of the work while in the capitalist machine

~Ruskin agrees~

• For not working creative the worker looses his humanity
• Ruskin argues for loosing creativity where Marx argues more in an economical concern however similar.
• Ruskin thinks craft of making is mental and physical united, one process. So the stages of production is wrong where thinking & making are separated into little 'tasks' which should be united.
• Seeing the thinker as 'elite' is wrong the worker thinks as much & is able to do which should make him the 'elite'
• Peter Anthony (sorry no link to be found I'll keep looking) takes a spiritual & moral prospective on the matter; work is vital and connects man with nature and god
• Marx sees it as slavery and looks for an economical solution from a communists prospective, where everyone is equal
• Were Ruskin wants to make workers 'elite' and autonomous

William Morris rides in

• William Morris argues not so much individualistic but more of in social implications - joyfulness of making
  • Self-expression is vital, in the capitalist system individual voices cease to exist
• Morris feels the individual creative expression will evolve to a happy & empowered creative community
  • Morris contrasts from Ruskin, he had een hands-on approach, he mastered all kinds of crafts, as he felt to do is to understand it (in which I agree)
  • He felt workers should experience pleasure in making.

Time-travellers from the future

• Morris felt quality was important, so the costs of producing/making were high, which meant only rich people were able to afford his products.
• Allen Lane
  • Made affordable books, Penguin paperbacks

Hope and fulfillment

• Theodor Adorno
  • Adorno thinks people deserve better, but also he seems disgusted to observe everyone's a moron.
• Morris was much kinder, people have to make do with the system
• The capitalist system makes the desires of people vanish, which is easily satisfied but instead of saying they're morons he takes a positive approach with motivation.
• E. P. Thompson
  • Unwilling to give up hope for the workers
• Morris saw the pollution and environmental problems coming and observed that science (which was needed to stop this) was enslaved by the capital system.

Morris on making and sharing

• Todays internet world is an equal platform for ideas and creativity
• Morris argues work should be fulfilling which in the capital system it's not.
  • Hope (his key word)
    • Pleasure of the job well done
    • Made something worthwhile
    • Pleasure of the work itself
  • Wealth is not materialistic but rather nature, knowledge ect.

Everyday Arts

• Morris thinks the best art is made by the artist himself, a dirty hands on project and should be a humble workman
• [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_Shirky Clay Shirky]
  • Clay Shirky thinks it's easier now, labels of what is art or what is craft are less important now.

In class notes

• School system how art and craft where united but later on seperated which hapend quet a few times -> see the history of Willem the Kooning as reference.
• Plato's cave
• Plato vs. Aristotle since Plato sees art as imitation and is bad.

Chapter 3

The meaning of making 2: Craft today

~ Not notes for me this time it was a clear introduction ~

The emergence of craft

• Craft could be seen as timeless, long standing traditions, ancient, building and communities
• Samuel Johnson 18th century, not associated with any particular practices; the word craft
  • in the 19th century the word craftsman emerged
• Paul Greenhalgh
  • New meaning to what is craft?
  • Decorative art
  • authentic everyday made things
  • Conditions in which it was made (political 'the capital system')

The arts and crafts movement

• In the arts and crafts movement all creative work is equal
• Connecting nature, sense of self and people
• The work of hands, individual expressions
• DIY culture emerged since crafted products/object were too expensive
• Gustav Stickley revived open source

DIY Culture

• Today simple tasks to do without needing professionals, not political anymore
• Alan Watts We don't learn in schools real-world usefulness
• John Holt Argues you can not learn the real-world usefulness in school only in real life, because it's not a normal experience, we should trust children to learn and experience it themselves.
• Stewart Brand The author of 'The whole earth catalog'
  • Self-reliance you can do it yourself (I really like his ideas and agree with this)

Punk DIY

• Similar but different than DIY itself, Punk DIY is not about glossy&highly produced products but more messy produced alternative. It's not about the physical beauty, it's about content and not about style.
• Amy Spencer (Also couldn't find a good link jet but it will come eventually)
  • Homemade instead of handmade
  • Things wouldn't be replaced, making and holding is value and joy.
• Feminism and zines; the role zines have in society
• Betsy Greer Craftivism
  • Resistance, a political choice is not buying but DIY
• Now we pay others to solve our problems (we're used to that) which is opposite of the DIY culture

Crafting as an attitude to everyday life

• The fact that all needs and problems can be bought doesn't mean a crafty person rejects that, having things enriches us.
• John Naish (not a very good link but he's hard to track down)
  • Having more things isn't going to make us happier Robert Trivers
• The great pacific garbage patch about our waste
• Maybe craft can save us?
• Anthony McCann Crafting is a way to remind ourselves we can make a difference
• Carl Honore Work is measured pace, doing work better with no rush

Craft practices and the 'rise' of craft

• Homemade is more appreciated again
  • Partly environmental awareness
• Faythe Levine movement handmade nation
• Garth Johnson Internet saves craft

-> Etsy -> Craftifesto

Craft motivations

• Motivations for crafting
• Sabrina Gschwandtner Sustainability factor for making things handcrafted
• Deb Dormody It's personal (that holds value)
• Christy Petterson Art school framed it as serious and analytical ->getcrafty
• We don't like being told what to do we need space for creativity and experimenting

Crafting togetherness

• In craft nation fame and competitive status are unimportant (unlike in the art world)
• Family and craft 'creative living' the community is a family but family itself is included by creative living

A process with power

• The meaningful and rewarding process of making (the pleasure and learning)
• Rozsika Parker Transforming material into meaningful objects, a way of self expression
• Winicott's theory Donald Winnicott
• Richard Reynolds Is an activist in guerrilla gardening, the secret en anonymous, the process isn't central the doing it counts!
• Joanne Turney and Marybeth C. Stalp finds crafting creates family, pleasure, self expression and unity.
  • Process most important which generates all the feelings.
• The opinion is the process is more important than the outcome, however I agree I also think this community part is overrated, yes the process is the part were you learn, polish up your skill and which is most important for the whole project I don't think the whole community around craft is as warm as Gauntlett makes it out to be. (this is of course reflecting on the chapter this far not just this piece)

An unexpected detour: Thinking about creativity with Starwars

• What is creative and what not?
• The remake from the old Starwars missed charm, the older less complex handmade is which we relate more to. Concluding craftwork won over technological achievements
• Starwarsuncut was the other reference Gauntlett used. Which was seen as creative unlike the remake with CGI effects of Georg Lucas
• Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Some people think it's creative others may not, also crafters look for validation

Creativity reframed

• Flow Working while not noticing anything; eat, sleep, time, rest ect.
  • Which should be the right level of work
• Flow is not just for creative people
• Would we like a product/object less when the process of making is no fun? Making isn't always fun all the time, it can be frustrating, intens or difficult at some times.
• More people are creative argues Gauntlett, where Csikszentmihaly only sees the activity as creative, when it leads to outcomes which have significant recognized impact on the relevant field.
• Creativity is felt (thinks Gauntlett) no external expert validation is necessary.

In class notes

I wasn't there I'll have to get updated by a classmate!

Chapter 4

The meaning of making 3: Digital

• Impression that the cloud, cyberculture and virtual reality are far from us and not 'rea'
• Hand coding is building from the ground up and bit by bit just like crafting with hands on however you can't touch the material.

Making and connecting on Youtube

• Youtube is a web 2.0 as everyone contributes and cares for it
• Unprofessionalism and lofi video's are libarating 'anyone can do this'
  • The intellect in unpolished/rough ways is okay and good refinement may come later but is less important
• 'Youtube video' Became a term

Youtube as archetype or the digital creative platform

• Platform, a place to share in whichever way you'd like
• Mark Andrejevic Respons negatively on Youtube, as unpaid moviemakers while users freely give valuable marketing data which is gathered for commercial purposes. He also thinks Youtube hates its users and wishes amateurs would go away. ( Gauntlett notices he forgets their contribution and why Youtube is/became populair)
• The tradeoff between freely sharing creativity and collecting data for corporations, makes us sort of comfortable?
• Youtube offers a 'stage' for people to aspire to a mainstream stage and as the content is up to you it's also a way to attracts clients (demonstrates ect)
• Patricia Lange Video of affinity; a simple, no postproduction, connects to a community of friends
• Youtube is a community
• Youtube encourages to respond, comment, rate, make friends, subscribe ect; 'semi social networking'
• Youtubestars participate in the community and can appear on mainstream shows over still be a part of the community
  • My best example of a Youtubestar and his own community and the way he is part of it; Pewdiepie
• Oprah did it the other way around but her 'one-way conversation' makes her unsuccessful.
• Youtube offers connection, contribution in anyway to generate a 'gift economy' (which is not entirely true because of the marketing data)

Motivations for making and sharing

• Why do people make and share stuff online?
  • The effort is low, social rewards and connections make it worthwhile
• Leisa Reichelt Ambient intimacy; keep in touch and intimate that you couldn't do in real life because time and space make it impossible
• People write blogs for their satisfaction, their journey and maybe to connect with same enthusiasts
  • They wish to express, be recognized or display interests.

Studying bloggers

• Rosanna Guadagno Studied bloggers, with a 'big 5 model'; neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness (Gauntlett did not agree with this method, to me it also seems to sketch an odd image)
  • The satisfaction of blogging and continuing interests
• Also negative feedback affects the author, these show that warm social connections, recognition and appreciation is important for the blogger.

Productive enthusiasts

• People make and do things because they want to-> Pleasure in the process, others might find it, connections and being recognized.
• People make things for the process, pleasure and the connections with others for always, on or offline. However online makes it easier as there are little restrictions of spaces, time and it is easier finding likeminded.

Beyond the screen

• Online crafting is also hands on, Youtube is a great example but there are also other specialize communities
• Second life sees Gauntlett as a virtual layer between you and your ideas. (I disagree in the way he doesn't see the social aspect, some people aren't very social or lonely and awkward this is their way to find friendship, I understand his concerns however I disagree since this is important for some people they deserve a way as well)
• We want to move away from the TV, we want to encourage to do crafting/hands on/go outside things.
• School of Everything and Freecycle Online gives a way to learn, this is a new way to use internet. Or to do things you didn't do before
• meetup A way to offline meet people with the same interests locally

Let's get together

• Online to go offline: Landshare, Ecomodo, Streetbank, Brooklyn skillshare, Green Gym (website unavailable) and Men's Sheds (also unavailable)
  • These help against isolation, online sharing and bringing it to real life makes happiness. (This was a bit overstated from Gauntlett however I do see his point)

In class notes

Still needs to happen :)