To understand Craftivism we need to take a closer look as how craft has always played its part when its turn came to take a stand for all the right purposes. It gives the individuals the respective medium to execute the creativity that they behold. In modern times, it has set to play its part in the various fields to bring about social changes. Here, we will take a look at how craftivism shapes the changes that take place socially.

What is craftivism?

Craftivism is utilising craft to influence people regarding the changes to be brought about socially. Embroidery and knitting forms of craft are widely used to enable people to be aware of social problems. Knitting has risen as a very famous form of craft that has impacted people largely to learn and unlearn about various social norms.These days, small handcrafted items with knitted statements are utilised to start discussions about these important social issues.People need to be provoked into discourse in order to voice their thoughts and appropriately apply them in situations when changes are needed. Art and activism have consequently been together since a very long period of time.Responses to these handcrafted pieces have been conflicting. Some individuals have a comprehensive understanding of the idea, while others are still in the dark. The majority of others are either barely interested in the works or not at all. 

History and origin of the art form

Knitting comes from a solely women-centric history, where only women practised this form of art in their household and it held no income. Men did not pay any heed to this craft as somewhere they did not consider it to be useful. The concept of being ‘feminine and fragile’ has diversely impacted various people throughout the decades, influencing them to not perform activities that would question their masculinity. These people tend to divide activities and label them as that to be a “women’s job and man’s job”. A lot of the problems developed from societal pressure, where societies pressured the individual to perform tasks that required more physical strength. Influenced by these beliefs, the families tended to have put efforts into bringing up the child by teaching them about their roles in society. This has led to a lot of people hiding their emotions, which come out in the form of violence and aggression.
Gradually, as we started to proceed towards modernization, the perspective of the people started changing. Education has been a key for reshaping young minds and teaching the importance of human emotions. The changes in the mindset has already started showing in the generations that are coming and people are constantly learning and unlearning things that would help them grow as an individual. Knitting, as talked about, has become a very important medium of protests and social rallies through its active participation in these social programmes. The artwork created by this craft is held globally, where people are influenced by the work and start to address the issues. In order to convey the message of deliverance to the viewers and listeners, the messages are woven together and portrayed.

How does knitting influence people?

Knitting is the process of creating artwork with multicoloured wools. It has been very effective in influencing people throughout various regions of the world. Research has demonstrated that colours have a wide range of psychological effects on people because they stimulate the neurological system, which causes impulses to be produced in various brain regions. Exhibiting red to someone has been demonstrated to elevate their pulse rate and cause their blood to contain more adrenaline. Using vibrant colours like these, which boost energy and have a significant effect on the nervous system, greatly aids in grabbing people’s attention at demonstrations.The colours of embroidered or knitted crafts are usually what draw people’s attention when they are on display during social programmes. It has a greater impact on their minds as they start paying closer attention to the work. This provocative idea has sparked numerous serious discussions around the globe, bringing society one step closer to reform. In pride walks and events, people have started using knitted clothing as an integral part of the whole process.These have emerged as the current general fashion trends, with knitted clothing being popular among millennials and younger generations who are beginning to exhibit more fascinating examples of cultural and social modernization. A number of designers have become well-known as a result of their creations being shown on media outlets and being positively received by the public. As the times change and our preconceived notions of the world also change, these innovative methods that individuals are using to alter their viewpoints will go a long way. Humans need to be more tolerant and understanding of everyone and everything. We must educate people about the changes if we are to bring about social transformation.People have ingrained knowledge of the principles and refuse to perceive things differently, thus this would take some time. When the generations graduate and people begin to accept things, we can all work together to give everyone a free place to live.

Conclusion

It is extremely important for the people all around the world to come together to raise their voice against all social injustice. Craftivism reminds us that, while participating in protests, it’s not always necessary to yell or act violently or forcefully.Through artistic demonstrations, the message can be peacefully communicated. It’s a really intriguing fusion of activism and art, and it’s a great opportunity to speak out against social injustices.

FAQs:

1. What is craftivism?
Craftivism is using the art of craft in the fields of activism. It is a tool that has risen up in today’s time which is widely used to make people alert and aware of the social norms and how we should be contributing to bring changes in those problematic norms in the society.
2. How is knitting a part of the activist protests?
Knitting is a form of craft that was practised only by women in the earlier times. Nowadays, it has been an integral part of the activist movements, where people use pieces of handcrafted clothes to deliver social messages. Knitted clothes are also seen to be worn by people when they participate in the rallies. These enable people to understand certain important messages through the artworks.
3. Is craftivism an effective part of activism?
Craftivism is a very important part of activism as it allows people to think about what they are doing and how to raise a conversation to resolve the important issues. All of it is done using craft as a the medium
4. Who coined the term ‘craftivism’?
The term ‘craftivism’ was first coined in the year 2003, by the sociologist and crafter Betsy Greer. She established a website and blog to connect the craftivists together, make them aware of the whole process and allow them to understand its importance.

5. What is the purpose of craftivism?

Silent art at demonstrations and protests to raise awareness to important social concerns is the goal of craftivism.

6. Why do people do craftivism?

Since knitting and sewing one’s own clothing is generally seen as a step toward sustainable fashion, people have been enthralled with this form of artistic expression for decades. Social workers are inspired to subtly encourage this learning through their profession because it is environmentally good.