Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Location: Books & Such main office, Santa Rosa, Calif.
I like to take the first few days of each year to get my grounding, to stabilize my feet under me, and to consider what the new year might hold. We’re all moving in a jet stream, propelled from behind by so many changes in society and in publishing that it’s hard to keep up with what’s new. But I think it’s instructive to consider what people are thinking about, how they’re reacting to life, and what that means to those of us who, ultimately, are either responders to society’s direction or movers of that direction. Either way, if we don’t know where our culture is going, we can neither write about it meaningfully nor influence its direction.
One thing I’ve noted is an uptick in the domestic arts. I’m not just talking people who like to cook, sew, knit, or build a bookshelf. I’m talking about people who are taking their activities to a new level. Sunset Magazine’s January 2012 issue had a section devoted to domestic artists. There I met:
Austin Durant, who is into fermenting–sauerkraut, pickles, even ketchup. He founded Fermenters Club in San Diego.
Emily Collins Kell, who makes cider because she had a backyard crammed with productive apple trees.
Emily Ho, who creates soda drinks because she found traditional sodas too sweet for her tastebuds’ liking. She carbonates drinks based on ingredients like elderflowers, oranges, rosemary, and cherries. She forages in farmers markets and on walks in her LA neighborhood to collect ingredients.
Jeff Pratuch, who cans tuna. A leisuretime tuna fisherman, he wanted albacore all year long and realized canning his catch was the way to stay stocked on the stuff. He says his homemade tuna bears little resemblance to the fare we eat from cans.
Cousins Brett Wittman and Jason Marwedel, who became sausage makers when they entered a sausage contest. Their family has been curing sausages for more than a century, but the guys knew they were onto something when, after three years of perfecting their skills, they beat not only their uncles but also their grandmother in the sausage contest.
Henry Chang, who roasts his own coffee. He started out trying to duplicate the espresso he tasted in Italy and eventually found the perfect roaster for him online–he had to learn to type in Chinese to communicate with the makers and eventually flew to Taiwan to pick up that precious baby.
What do all of these people, who from their photos look as though they’re in their 30s or 40s, have in common?
- They were inventive.
- They became obsessed with their hobbies.
- They saw a need (too many apples, sodas too sweet, couldn’t find a good espresso, etc.) and decided to meet it for themselves (and for friends). None of these individuals earns a living from what he or she creates. Most don’t sell their wares. Their day jobs are: ob-gyn, banker, construction manager, wine merchant manager, publicist, food writer, software project manager.
- They created something uniquely their own.
What does this tell us about our culture as we enter 2012? Individuals like to personalize their experiences. In a world where we all shop in the same stores and wear the same brands, it’s refreshing to make something no one else makes just as you do.
They’ve developed a sense of exploration.
They enjoy self-expression.
They want to take what is at hand and create something new from it.
What does that translate to for writers? Readers want to “discover” you on their own. Rather than buying your book because everyone is reading it or because an ad told them to, they want to find your book–probably online. And they want to connect with you, not just with your writing.
And best of all would be if you could offer them a way to express what you’re writing about in their own way. If your novel’s character studies flowers’ genetics and develops new varieties, explain in an appendix how the reader could play around (in an obsessive kind of way) with doing the same. If your nonfiction book is about the importance of emotions, develop a website where readers can engage with each other on the topic.
A crafty lifestyle is an “in” lifestyle nowadays. How can you tap into that–and be true to yourself and your message?
Do you have any other insights as to why people are choosing to express themselves in such unique ways? Or how to apply that to your writing?
What an interesting analysis! Thank you for the commentary on how this trend translates into the writing life.
As someone who’s admittedly gotten lost in the DIY-cyber world for hours on end (oops), I agree that this is a widespread and intriguing trend. It seems to me that people are willing to be resourceful and creative during these tough economic times, less likely to run out and purchase ready-made products or kits, and more likely to spearhead/design their own method of doing things. It’s a refreshing pattern, and the wave of innovation that’s come of it is inspiring.
Thanks again for such interesting observations!
I am definitely NOT a crafty person however I have designed a labyrinth that will be going this summer (hopefully) in the ground at a retreat center near where I live. The labyrinth I designed is a Grief Labyrinth. Something that everyone has gone through at one time or another. The pattern is very simple but the meaning is very deep. Four carved wooden models have already been made and in some cases are being used by people. I have been pleased and amazed with the positive reponses that I have received. I was even requested by one publication to write an article when the labyrinth is placed in the ground.
I would like to incorporate a labyrinth (not the one I design but another one that I am familiar with) in the novel that I am working on.
There is something soul-satisfying about the domestic arts–especially when you’ve grown up in a time when everything is mass-produced and without much character. Food, in particular, can be so much more glorious than most of what’s available for purchase in stores today. I think I like this trend. 🙂
On a side note, I ferment my own sauerkraut AND live in San Diego. How have I never heard of the Fermenters Club??
I guess a silver lining to the recession is that it has helped bring about an awareness of the need to keep supporting those who create wonderful, unique experiences.
And hey, writers’ are on that list, right? 🙂
Hmmm. New resolutions:
Take my breadmaking off the back-burner. I still want to try that garbanzo bean bread. And different types of flour. How much better for my diabetes
Incorporate it into my writing. How fun!
And thanks for the inspiration.
Blessings,
Voni
I love this! You’ve got me all excited. I think there is a pent up demand for “added value” and that can easily apply to books. We could include driving tours of the settings for our novels. Websites “hosted” by characters (I’ve seen this). How-to guides for historical novels that tell how to make lye soap or carve a wooden dipper.
Jan Karon has done a great job with this sort of thing. She has a cookbook, children’s books, Father Tim’s book of quotes, and recently she led a trip to the Irish inn that served as the setting for her most recent novel.
We could have fun with this all day! Better go redo the marketing section of my proposal.
This is probably obvious to everyone but me, but just this past year I finally had an insight (thanks to writer Athol Dickson) about why women in the 19th century made quilts. And I think it applies to all of these individuals who are drawn to create pickles or sausage or gardens. We are products of the Creator, made in His image. Hence, creativity is part of our DNA … it is part of our being made in the image of THE Creator that we want to create. Our Creator took time to make things beautiful and savory, so it makes sense that His creation would have that innate longing as well. 19th Century quilts aren’t nearly as much about keeping warm as they are about self-expression. If it was about keeping warm, all we would have would be tied comforters made from one length of fabric. Textile historians now know that availability of fabric wasn’t a problem for most 19th century women. So pieced quilts are about something else. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to tell quilt stories thanks to Barbour, who is releasing The Key on the Quilt in March. I could tell quilt stories for the rest of my life, because of the boundless spiritual applications one can gather from patchwork.
It seems we’re facing two dichotomous (rhymes with hippopotamus) truths. In pop culture, it’s almost “cutesy” or laugh-off-my-intentional-incompetence-pride for someone to walk through a new house, admire the state of the art kitchen and add, “Not that I cook. Ever.” Insert quirky grin. At the same time, many young women express that they’re hungering for someone to mentor them in the domestic arts, the aftermath of a generation that worked hard to eliminate the need for them. My nephew couldn’t figure out why his car ran rough. Not a drop of oil on the dipstick, a fact he did not discover for himself because techies don’t know how to check their oil, apparently. So this is a fascinating discussion, Janet. In light of a resurgence of valuing the sight of home-canned peaches on the shelf (nothing prettier) and handmade furniture shaped specifically to our needs, and the growing necessity of learning basic lifeskills for survival in addition to acquiring the latest apps, how do we tap into the chaos with our writing projects? I was supposed to be writing. Now you’ve got me THINKING! 🙂
I love the way each of you connected to my thoughts on the domestic arts–each seeing it from your corner of the world, but each linked to what the others had to say.
And your applications are so creative. Lori, the idea of incorporating a labyrinth into your novel sounds fascinating.
Lindsay, happy fermenting, now that you know you can do your sauerkraut with others!
Great minds! I feauture weekly how-to’s on my website. I did quilting today and have done recipes my heroine cooks, homemade cleaning products from vinegar, and will do an entire pickling, canning, and home gardening section this spring, summer, fall.
I love the idea of having the character write some of these.
Stephanie, I’m not the only one who sees God’s hand in quilts, huh? 🙂
We live in a culture that celebrates individualism, so I see this as a natural extension of that.
Fabulous conversation today! I love the home arts and have always worked to make my home a warm, welcoming sanctuary with good food and good art. But the comments are so insightful. I may clip them and tuck them into my journal so I can chew on them some more. Maybe there’s a whole lot more at play here.
A little late to be commenting, but I just wanted to pass along my thanks once more. Here is how I’ve applied the idea of “customizing” the reading experience: http://amandadykes.blogspot.com/p/soundtrack.html
What fun this has been!
I’m very late in commenting but I just read this. I’m not sure I have anything particularly insightful to add, but my personal experience is that in a rapidly moving world, there’s almost a backlash of longing for simplicity. And because we have the conveniences of that rapidly moving world, we often can make the time to indulge in interests like these.
I’d love to read a psychological perspective on why people react this way.
Thanks for sharing.