Sustainable Creativity
Now more than ever, it is important to pay attention to the impact you have as an individual. Your own ecological footprint may seem insignificant but when adding all the individual footprints, even in just one city, the impact grows immensely. Put simply, an ecological footprint is a measure of human impact on nature which considers aspects such as housing, transportation, and energy consumption. The ecological footprint of Canada is approximately 8.17 hectares, one of the highest countries in the world. This means that if everyone lived like us, we would need over 8 more planets to sustain us.
It is important to think of the individual impact you have in all areas of your life, even with your creative endeavours! Whatever kind of creative projects you are working on, try to keep in mind the impact you are making within your activity, the materials you use, and the measures you take for your creations.
Obtaining Sustainability
Sustainability encompasses three main categories: economy, environment, and society. Each of these categories is crucial to obtaining a balanced and healthy network of interconnecting pieces. In the past, they were seen as three separate ‘pillars’ but it is now known that they are all encompassing. Environment encompasses both economy and society as without a healthy and livable environment, the other two simply cannot exist. Society it next, because without healthy social aspects, economies would collapse. Lastly, economy is in the center as the other two do not necessarily need economy to survive and have proven so in the past.
Whether you are cooking, painting, composing music, or designing – always keep in mind this encompassing vision of sustainability into your own lifestyle and creativity. Whatever the size of your project, sustainability can play a role. With the knowledge of this circled around our community, it is fairly easy to live and create in a sustainable way. Listed below are some tips to help you on your way.
Tips for Sustainability:
- Buy ethically made products
Pay close attention to where products are made and do research on companies and businesses before hand. It is easy to find information on the sustainability of a company on the internet. Check out the factory and workplace information, ethical recognized certifications such as fair trade and B-Corp, as well as material sourcing information.
- Ecological Footprint
Paying attention to your ecological footprint encompasses many things as a means to become more sustainable. Try to focus on things such as how you get your products, where they come from, and what ingredients are inside. When considering your energy consumption, try to always unplug anything from power sockets and turn off lights to conserve energy.
When considering your carbon footprint, remember that driving spends more carbon than taking public transportation. Also note that buying good from overseas also spends more carbon than purchasing from your own country.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
There are plenty of products out there that end up in second-hand stores. Why not browse the aisles here for items and material that can be repurposed for your own projects? Not only are you taking a step towards environmental consciousness, but the items are generally going to be a lot cheaper than buying brand new!
- Go Eco Friendly
When creating something, try to think of the future for the product. Is it biodegradable or will it end up in the landfill? Is it organic or full of toxic matter? When making the decision to step away from environmentally harmful products and materials, you are not only making the decision to care for the planet but also care for the people wearing/purchasing your products.
- Shop local
Shopping local is a perfect example to encompass all sustainable categories. By purchasing local products, you are helping the environment by means of reducing carbon outputs from shipping. Socially, you are helping your local community and small businesses that will be grateful for your service rather than big box stores. Economically, you are putting money back into your own community and therefore helping the local economy.
Sustainable Future
Whether small changes or big changes, taking the steps to become more sustainable is an important piece to caring for the future of our planet and our communities. There are plenty more ways to reduce your impact and step towards sustainable creativity. All it takes is a little extra research and mindfulness to create something that is low impact and environmentally friendly!
If you are looking for a little extra inspiration, we have some amazing sustainable creatives here with Maker Faire Saskatoon! So far on the blog, we have spotlighted a couple Makers who are setting the stage for sustainable creativity. Amanda Bosiak makes handmade soaps in her house focusing on natural products such as essential oils. Hugo Jamain makes handmade jewelry from recycled materials in his shop that would otherwise end up in the landfill!
If you are interested in learning what your ecological footprint is, take the test here!
Maker Spotlight: Hugo Jamain
STYX the Label.
Styx is a sustainable jewelry brand, handcrafted in the French alps in the small mountain village of Annecy. Annecy is recognized as the ‘Venice of the Alps’, known for the small cobblestone streets, winding canals, and charming French bakeries. Up-and-coming designer, Hugo Jamain, has a workshop in Annecy where he transforms materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill.
“Styx is a modern brand made to inspire the creatives, the explorers, and the adventurers of the world. It is for the bold, the people who push boundaries and aren’t scared to step outside of their comfort zones”
Philosophy
Hugo’s philosophy is deep rooted to his connection to nature, having always taken an interest in the preservation of the environment and ecosystems as well as the protection of the animals around him. He noticed a problem in his village and decided to create something positive from it that can also inspire people to care more about sustainability.
It all began when he noticed the amount of scrap metal and materials leftover from local businesses around the city. These materials would get loaded up in the back of a dump truck and taken to the landfill. Seeing this sparked the idea to make a second life for these materials and to create something much longer-lasting. Getting creative in his workshop, he made several prototypes before finalizing his first collection of jewelry.
With two parents that have inspired him to work with his hands in the realm of design – his mother has a background in architecture and his father is a craftsman, working for many top-level brands in France. When not in school, Hugo spent most of his childhood in a workshop by his father’s side, learning from and eventually making his own products. Watching his dad work, he grew up with the idea that everything was manufacturable or transformable.
Hugo has always taken an interest in learning and reading about ancient cultures and mythologies from around the world, taking a special interest in ancient Greece. As the Greek mythology states, ‘Styx’ is the connection of worlds, the continuation of life from one world to the other. With this in mind, the idea of transforming used materials into new jewelry is giving another life to something that would otherwise end up discarded.
Process
Hugo is happy to spend hours on end in his workshop, using his hands to craft beautiful, polished, one-of-a-kind pieces. It began as a pastime to keep busy during the times of Covid and turned into a passion that he wishes to share with the world. He uses both stainless steel and brass to create different collections of bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, cufflinks, as well as a variety of other things. He mainly uses stainless steel because it is one of the strongest metals and will not change, rust, or weather over the years.
Along with creating his jewelry brand, Hugo shapes surfboards. He buys the stock board and has all the materials to cut, shape, and design new boards. He also has a background in marketing and business, obtaining a diploma over the course of three years. An entrepreneur at heart, he has a lot of ideas for art, design, and creative endeavors.
From beginning to end, Hugo wishes to keep the entire process as sustainable and low impact as possible. For shipping, he uses biodegradable materials, such as bamboo packaging. He hopes to always keep the production process small and give as much attention to detail as possible. He wants the brand to remain artisanal, with the belief that it provides the best quality and uniqueness to each piece.
Inspiration
His travels around the world have inspired him to create collections based on the landscapes and cultures he visits. Being a surfer has connected him to the ocean and has inspired his first collection to mirror the ripples of the water. Along with this, the materials he uses are not harmful to the ocean and vice versa. He wears his pieces surfing with the knowledge that they will not rust or be affected from the saltwater.
He has begun working on collections based on different countries, including Canada! Based on his travels and friendships in Canada, he has grown to love the country and hopes to be able to move to Canada once restrictions are lifted. He observes and uses features that resemble the landscapes in his art and creations. His Canadian collection takes the vast differences of provinces and territories from prairies to mountains to forests to the ocean coast. For Saskatchewan and the prairies, he is working on belt buckles as well as a variety of other pieces. He is thrilled to be a part of Maker Faire and wants to share within this supportive and uplifting community.
To see more designs, check out the STYX Instagram page here!