Another person's treasure.....

Every year the surrounding municipality (and province) has one day (in the spring and fall) where residents are allowed to put large appliances, furniture, and boxes of non-toxic, unwanted items on the curbside for garbage pickup. Lots of households opt to toss their goods to the curb a few days before actual pickup day. This gives other people the opportunity to check out the goods and bring them home if they'd like. It really is a great way to reuse and reduce the amounts of items going to the dump. This sort of exchange offers many opportunities in all kinds of ways. It provides people with much wanted items that they simply have not been able to find or afford. It also gives people new ways to look at things by creating projects ~ like painting an old wooden chair or piecing many dresser shelves together to create a dynamic and unique new bookshelf. It's all about divergent thinking (as my friend Tracy would say).

One of my favourite finds is a vintage Remington typewriter which now resides in my studio and provides me with entertainment, thoughts on bygone eras and the quality of goods of those eras. I simply can't walk by it without contemplating how much longer things would have taken compared to our "plugged~in lifestyle" of today.

I am embracing the idea of the Slow Movement in all aspects of life ~ from food, to travel, to lifestyle. I adore the old one speed, back pedal bicycles, handmade bread making and the  clickety~clack sounds from punching the keys on a typewriter. My focus for my next body of work will most certainly derive inspiration from the very things that may have been moved to the way side because they take too long, are not efficient or simply say "old".

Bring on the home infused tonics, garden grown tomatoes and vintage tunes from old record players. I still love my computer and the access to today's modern ammenities, but there is something about the quality and quirky features of yesterday's inventions.

Let's all do our part to reuse something we have found ~ whether in the backs of our closets or on the roadside. I highly recommend the film Wasteland if you need any inspiration.

Happy dumpster diving, roadside recycling and closet creativity!!! :)