Art & Social ChangeCrafting Change

A Craftivist Valentine’s Day

By February 6, 2013 No Comments

Whether you love or loathe Valentine’s Day, you probably associate it with romantic dates, roses and boxes of chocolate. While some would argue that it’s nothing but a commercial scam invented by Hallmark, it’s at least nominally about showing people that you love and appreciate them. A group of craftivists has taken advantage of Valentine’s Day to encourage people to spread that love beyond their social circle to the rest of the world.

Craftivist Collective is a UK-based group that does craft projects with messages about global poverty, injustice, feminism and climate change. They have been “hijacking” Valentine’s Day since 2008, with the goal of shifting people’s consciousness to others in the world who are less fortunate. Their alternative Valentines include a letter encouraging people to think about their global neighbors in need, as well as a handmade keychain. The letter asks people to “brighten up someone’s day and remind them of our global community and inspire them to get stirred up to think about how the poorest people in the world are being affected by climate change, despite having contributed the least to the problem.” The group distributes the Valentines in various places where passersby will find them – tucked into payphones, ATMs, bicycle spokes, on subway platforms, etc.

While I wish the Valentines gave some specific suggestions of things we can do to help out others, I think this project does have potential to reach people who may otherwise not think much about these issues. Because the cards are left in public places, anyone could find one on their way to work or school. Like the mitten project I wrote about last month, the fact that someone made these Valentines gives them more meaning; someone in your city wants you to think about this and they care enough that they went to the trouble to make something by hand.

That’s what I think makes Craftivist Collective’s projects so cool – they take their messages to the streets in a way that is non-aggressive, but that gets people’s attention. Their embroidered protest banners are another great example: small handmade messages ranging from environmentalist to pro-gay marriage, placed on fences, benches and other spots where they’ll be seen. Cross-stitch isn’t exactly something you see in your everyday travels, so it might grab your attention more than, say, a poster or a sticker. You also know that it took a bit of work on someone’s part to make it.

Craftivist Collective does a lot of other cool projects, which I’ll talk about in future blog posts. If you’re interested in making your own alternative Valentines, you can find more information here.

For more examples of craftivism, check out my craftivism Pinterest board.

Image courtesy of Craftivist Collective.

 

Author Nina Schwartzman

Nina Schwartzman is an avid crafter and a recent transplant to Baltimore. She studied French at Smith College and worked in an historic house and an immigration law firm before moving to Baltimore. When not crafting, she enjoys riding her bike, doing yoga and learning foreign languages.

More posts by Nina Schwartzman

Leave a Reply