My love/hate for markets

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I first started doing markets 17 years ago, above are photos of that market and the jewelry I started making to sell way back then, I’ve actually made jewelry since childhood, it was exciting to sell what I made. Before being a vendor I frequented local markets in Windsor Ontario. I bought ALL of my families produce at the market because the prices were so much less than the grocery stores, it made feeding our family good food so much more affordable.

I was a vendor in my current location for several years until I started seeing a shift. The markets became less and less about local produce and art and became more and more about luxury items for the wealthy. When I saw this shift I stopped attending them.

Markets played two roles when they first began, they gave opportunity to vendors who may not be able to afford to put their items in stores, it gave opportunity for those with less to be able to buy food direct from local food producers at a lower cost. When luxury becomes the focus those with less, those with disabilities always get pushed out, it was hard to see people get pushed out of one of the few places meant to help those on a budget. I started to really dislike what I was seeing at markets. Vendors who were independently wealthy serving the wealthy, less and less poor, minority or disabled people vending and attending. The cost for vending became unreasonable $150-$200 per venue.

We are living in a time where food is becoming a luxury and it’s really disheartening.

Markets aren’t meant to be luxury events, they were meant to help LOCAL people thrive.

I was never a food vendor, I sell art amd jewelry, and I believe these things should also be accessible, art has become snobby and overpriced. I’d rather have my art in the hands of someone who loves it then in the hands of someone fancy. We need to get back to making sure those with less have space and are cared for.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/60855c_0102a9914c5b4012b558f59986986a1f/file

I went on a Facebook rant…….

I’ve done it before and deleted, when I have to say something I bring it here. A place for posts that are a little longer.

I went on a rant about the butterfly population in the region I live, which is Muskoka, we have lived here 10+ years and from year one one I have spent summers taking photos of the butterflies in the meadow in our backyard. I sent all my photos to inaturalist and my photos were added to the butterfly migration map for our area. The first 5 years we lived here there were so many butterflies, a large number and a wide variety, but every year after there have been less. Last summer I saw one monarch, and this year just a couple. My sons girlfriend said she has seen a few on her walks, they are around, but there aren’t as many. I saw a post locally saying we need to protect milkweed and that is true, milkweed is vital to monarchs. We also need to wait to mow our lawns, many butterfly eggs hide beneath fallen leaves and under wildflower leaves. We need to stop using harmful pest control outright. We need to bring our yard trimmings to designated areas to prevent invasive plants from spreading, plants that kill things like milk weed and jewel weed and goldenrod.

I miss photographing the butterflies, an aesthetic garden and yard is great but it’s nothing without the butterflies. Imagine a world without butterflies, I don’t want to.

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Strange creatures

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I’ve been doodling alot this year, often I doodle and listen to a book or podcast. I’ve created over 60 doodles this year, and I still have so many more in me. I’ve decided to call this series of doodles “strange creatures” These past few days I’ve been reflecting a bit on the why I create these strange creatures. I think in part the creatures are versions of us humans and a reflection of me. I often feel like a strange creature observing nature, I feel I’m part of it all, I carry it in me, my art often depicts eyes, the creatures eyes noticing nature, and nature also noticing the creatures. Nature is strange and abstract. Nature reminds us the world is home to us all, every living thing. We are connected, we have an impact on the world around us, from the flowers to the trees, to the birds and the bees we depend on each other. Humans need to notice, we take the workings of nature for granted, but if the bees and the flowers stopped existing it would be a very different world. We need each other, and humans, us self aware creatures, need to fully appreciate the miracle of a bee pollinating a flower, that simple act by a tiny bee in turn gives us so many wonderful things. We are the strange creatures, we are the beings that have a massive impact on the world around us, we need to start noticing and taking care of the miracle of nature.

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