on consumerism

I know, I know, I do buy new stuff, less than I used to, but most likely more than I should. Although, as usual, I shy away from cheap, massproduced things and I do thrift a lot too. And of course create a lot myself. But I could do better, much better. Less shopping, less consumerism for most of us on this planet would be beneficial. And more inspiration and encourage to create ourselves, like with the peace scarf.

We live in a world with finite recources, it's about high darn time we take personal responsability for our choices, whether it be eating habits or shopping. If we are completely honest, we all know that, right? Right.

Doing a spot of shopping to soothe a troubled mind or treat oneself, it's so easy, I know too well. "Because I'm worth it." On the other hand I know both money and time could be much better spent, most of the time. Thrifting and charity shops are great in that way, they don't tear and wear on the planet's resources and the money spent go to good causes. And you always know where to leave the things you have no use for anymore, someone else might find use and joy in them. For an affordable price. Such a simply thing really, that can make such a great impact on so many levels.

So when I headed to the department store to get one of those button stools - to sit on in the hall while putting boots on, I usually do that on the toilet seat, but that moo toilet seat from less than a year ago has slowly broken in to smaller pieces and is now beyond repair. Which makes a perfect example of massproduced, cute, cheap, too cheap = bad quality of course. My old toilet seat, which also could be recycled in to the system, didn't broke until after 20 years. Higher price, cheaper in the long run and better for the planet. - I saw these colourful candlesticks.

Very cute idea, massproduced with really bad quality, finish and wobbly. For that they wanted 169 sek (~26 usd). I'm constantly amazed that there are people who buy stuff like this and that noone along the production line say no. Which of course is down to the world we've built, where money, the holy financial growth, the paycheck, the threadmill, work as we know it is opium for the people.

It's just so heartbreaking that the specie with the brain who can think, create, feel and make so many fantastic things has so little compassion, so little grasp of everything being connected, makes so many mad choices, is so very stupid and has bought in to so many crazy notions and ideas.

My Weltschmerz is constant, my soul is forever misanthrophic, I'm glad I can still find joy and inspiration in some humans. But overall, I just do not get humans. More often than not, it feels like socializing with beings from a whole other planet, we do not speak the same language. I smile, nod, move on, because when I speak my heart most people don't seem to get it. I'm that tiresome one who always take things so seriously, who is uncomfortable to hang with when life should be simple like "I enjoy meat I eat meat, I want to shop til' I drop, wear and tear, cheap rules, f--ck organic and fairtrade, compassion and slow living".

Someone gave me the advice to stop watching and reading the news and newspapers, I actually have and even if Weltschmerz is my companion I feel more than a tad bit calmer. And try and live my life, on my terms, do good things, even if they're seemingly small they're so much better than no kind deeds at all.

I'm in no need of a new candlestick, but if you are, I think the above ones, if nothing else, at least hold a great DIY idea; if you have old, boring ones or find some at the thrift shop, spruce them up with a splash of new colour/pattern. So much better, on so many levels.

This kind of blog post certainly is a good way to remind myself I still need to scrutinize my own shopping patterns. I should make a BIG mental not in reading it before I get myself another pair of shoes. Which reminds me, just last week I just had to, since it was a big sale on models going out of stock... See, sometimes (quite often actually) I just don't get myself either.

And of course, instead of getting a button stool, I could have gone to the charity shop and looked for something. That constant battle of being kind to oneself, treat oneself and making good choices in a greater scheme of things.

What do you do to step off the threadmill, 
battle against consumerism, 
fight the good fight for a kinder planet?
I would love to get new, kind ideas!