Getting creative

One of the things we ended up talking about in VS circle this month was how voluntary simplicity (and trying not to buy so many new things) led us to being more creative in order to fulfill our needs (and our free time).

I am more of a practical person so my creativity has just involved using strips of fabric from old tights and t-shirts to make hair ties, using my dad's old ties as belts, old calendars as wrapping paper and reusing a lot of food containers for storage. I have not yet gone to the next level - but it is something I really want to do. I want to learn to sew and create more of my own stuff from the things that I already have - let's call it in-house recycling.

I have to say that I was inspired when I ran across this (thanks to a posting on the freegan discussion board) :

Andy Gregg at Bike Furniture Design makes furniture out of old bicycle parts (up in Marquette, Michigan). This is way past my highest hopes of what I may do in the future, but I think it is really great to see the kinds of things that can be created when we try to find imaginative ways to reuse, reduce, and recycle.

For more inspiration, I recommend checking out: The Visible Trash Society and Michael Reynolds' Earthship Biotechure Sustainable Independent Buildings.

I would love to hear from others (in the comments section below) about how buying less has led them to being more creative to fulfill their needs.

Last but not least - I want to thank all the new people who came to January's Voluntary Simplicity Circle. It was really great and a lot of fun getting to hear new perspectives, ideas, thoughts, experiences, etc...