"painfully aware at the fixes not being implemented" - ouch, but yeah, this part
and i feel like a lot of the progress made towards climate, social justice issues, etc was unraveled in the past 2-3 years. maybe that "progress" wasn't real and just performative b.s., who knows
i tend to tune out in the consumption discussion because it seems like there's only 2 options: never buy anything ever again or only buy in excess. so many sustainable supporting peeps scream about how there's no such thing as "conscious consumers" in that it's an oxymoron... okay so, then what? where does that leave us? not in a place that feels hopeful or even actionable. i've rarely seen something constructive come out of that and it just leaves me feeling more mad or hopeless than anything. similarly with the "designers just fuel consumption" discussion - it just makes me feel like shit for (1) either thinking i was doing 'good' and realizing i wasn't or (2) not knowing what else to do - what should an entire industry of creatives go off and do then?
"sustainability is complex" - big facts! and it can't always be boiled down but there's something to be said about the... idk what to call it... simplification for the sake of lowering the bar of entry. y'know, so that clients understand it and hopefully will be able to adjust to getting more info about it, even if they never get the nitty gritty expert level details.
lol not dieline sending those postcards...
"I just don’t really think that my work here is having a real significant impact or is contributing to a movement within consumer behaviour that’s truly changing anything. " - I feel this way A LOT about my work with social impact clients and whatnot. i'm like, none of this shit matters in the grand scheme of things. but then i see these little miracles or little gifts of tangible change and i get a glimmer of hope. i think a lot has gotten lost or distorted in the mainstreamification of DEI but i know there are "boots on the ground" people that are helping in the day-to-day and that helps ease my catastrophic thinking a bit
Offda, this one hit hard Emma. You are certainly not alone in your feelings. All we can do is try and make people aware of their impact and keep them informed about more sustainable alternatives. Sometimes a plastic free solution simply does not exist yet (especially when it comes to water resistant materials), but I'm hanging onto the hope that one day it will. Keep spreading the word about who is working on new plastic-free solutions and maybe someone will see it and it will make them think or maybe even reach out with interest or better yet investments if they are able and encouraged. Just because you don't have the means to support new solutions doesn't mean you're not connected to someone who might. Maybe you can inspire them by continuing to share.
If I can make one person — client, friend, family, stranger — think differently about how they shop and sell, I call that a win. I don't think there is a true solution on an individual scale, but perhaps when communities come together and people share more honestly about what they want for our future... that's when magic happens.
Hang in there, I'm still hanging onto the hope for a better tomorrow.
Thanks Renee <3 It's good to know I'm not alone–I've received so many wonderful replies to this one, it seems to have hit home with a lot of folks. I too really hope for these plastic-free solutions to come onto the market, and even more that big oil doesn't try and squash them once they do. I definitely want to keep the good work up especially in the educational space here: feels a lot more meaningful than hitting walls with clients and feeling like I should have or could have done a better job of convincing or explaining to them the situation. I'll hang onto that hope of a better tomorrow right along with you :)
"Now I know what’s going on, why, and am all too painfully aware at the fixes not being implemented." - this whole paragraph hit me hard. Some days it makes me wish I could go back and not learn the fixes so I could live in blissful ignorance. Also Bernie 😭😭😭 What could have been 😭
LOWKEY SAME THOUGH. But not knowing filled me with untethered anxiety that I couldn't control. So overall I think it's better but... neverforget Bernie ;-; I legitimately ugly cried when he stepped down from the race.
This has been a great read and I definitely feel this way too. But I think something to keep in mind is that even though it all feels like it’s pointless when not done perfectly, that’s not true. Even small improvements can make an impact, and supporting businesses that at least try, even if they end up with less sustainable solutions because they can’t afford it otherwise. At least there’s a level of caring that the big corps don’t have. Will it be enough? Maybe not. But I still feel like it’s better than nothing at all. It’s still progress and as trite as it sounds “progress > perfection”. Anyway, that’s my take on it.
Thanks so much Sara. I totally think you're correct that trying overall to do better is still worth it even if it's not perfect in the end. Thanks for the positive encouragement <3
Oh also I want to add that your course has helped me and others so much to also help our clients make better choices. It’s a positive ripple effect that YOU created!
I'm so proud of the course still! And the educational side of the job talking to other designers is honestly still like 10/10!!! I actually am planning more good stuff for the course soon, although it's still in baby stages right now cuz I need to check some stuff before I make moves XD
"painfully aware at the fixes not being implemented" - ouch, but yeah, this part
and i feel like a lot of the progress made towards climate, social justice issues, etc was unraveled in the past 2-3 years. maybe that "progress" wasn't real and just performative b.s., who knows
i tend to tune out in the consumption discussion because it seems like there's only 2 options: never buy anything ever again or only buy in excess. so many sustainable supporting peeps scream about how there's no such thing as "conscious consumers" in that it's an oxymoron... okay so, then what? where does that leave us? not in a place that feels hopeful or even actionable. i've rarely seen something constructive come out of that and it just leaves me feeling more mad or hopeless than anything. similarly with the "designers just fuel consumption" discussion - it just makes me feel like shit for (1) either thinking i was doing 'good' and realizing i wasn't or (2) not knowing what else to do - what should an entire industry of creatives go off and do then?
"sustainability is complex" - big facts! and it can't always be boiled down but there's something to be said about the... idk what to call it... simplification for the sake of lowering the bar of entry. y'know, so that clients understand it and hopefully will be able to adjust to getting more info about it, even if they never get the nitty gritty expert level details.
lol not dieline sending those postcards...
"I just don’t really think that my work here is having a real significant impact or is contributing to a movement within consumer behaviour that’s truly changing anything. " - I feel this way A LOT about my work with social impact clients and whatnot. i'm like, none of this shit matters in the grand scheme of things. but then i see these little miracles or little gifts of tangible change and i get a glimmer of hope. i think a lot has gotten lost or distorted in the mainstreamification of DEI but i know there are "boots on the ground" people that are helping in the day-to-day and that helps ease my catastrophic thinking a bit
Offda, this one hit hard Emma. You are certainly not alone in your feelings. All we can do is try and make people aware of their impact and keep them informed about more sustainable alternatives. Sometimes a plastic free solution simply does not exist yet (especially when it comes to water resistant materials), but I'm hanging onto the hope that one day it will. Keep spreading the word about who is working on new plastic-free solutions and maybe someone will see it and it will make them think or maybe even reach out with interest or better yet investments if they are able and encouraged. Just because you don't have the means to support new solutions doesn't mean you're not connected to someone who might. Maybe you can inspire them by continuing to share.
If I can make one person — client, friend, family, stranger — think differently about how they shop and sell, I call that a win. I don't think there is a true solution on an individual scale, but perhaps when communities come together and people share more honestly about what they want for our future... that's when magic happens.
Hang in there, I'm still hanging onto the hope for a better tomorrow.
Thanks Renee <3 It's good to know I'm not alone–I've received so many wonderful replies to this one, it seems to have hit home with a lot of folks. I too really hope for these plastic-free solutions to come onto the market, and even more that big oil doesn't try and squash them once they do. I definitely want to keep the good work up especially in the educational space here: feels a lot more meaningful than hitting walls with clients and feeling like I should have or could have done a better job of convincing or explaining to them the situation. I'll hang onto that hope of a better tomorrow right along with you :)
"Now I know what’s going on, why, and am all too painfully aware at the fixes not being implemented." - this whole paragraph hit me hard. Some days it makes me wish I could go back and not learn the fixes so I could live in blissful ignorance. Also Bernie 😭😭😭 What could have been 😭
LOWKEY SAME THOUGH. But not knowing filled me with untethered anxiety that I couldn't control. So overall I think it's better but... neverforget Bernie ;-; I legitimately ugly cried when he stepped down from the race.
This has been a great read and I definitely feel this way too. But I think something to keep in mind is that even though it all feels like it’s pointless when not done perfectly, that’s not true. Even small improvements can make an impact, and supporting businesses that at least try, even if they end up with less sustainable solutions because they can’t afford it otherwise. At least there’s a level of caring that the big corps don’t have. Will it be enough? Maybe not. But I still feel like it’s better than nothing at all. It’s still progress and as trite as it sounds “progress > perfection”. Anyway, that’s my take on it.
Thanks so much Sara. I totally think you're correct that trying overall to do better is still worth it even if it's not perfect in the end. Thanks for the positive encouragement <3
Oh also I want to add that your course has helped me and others so much to also help our clients make better choices. It’s a positive ripple effect that YOU created!
I'm so proud of the course still! And the educational side of the job talking to other designers is honestly still like 10/10!!! I actually am planning more good stuff for the course soon, although it's still in baby stages right now cuz I need to check some stuff before I make moves XD