We’re very, very psyched about the latest addition...

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Your daily source of inspiration for creative reuse and mindful consumption.

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We welcome your tips, suggestions, and feedback. Contact: unconsumption@gmail.com

[Background on, & press coverage of, Unconsumption can be found here and here.]

Consumption is a word used to describe acts of acquisition – generally, the acquisition of things, in exchange for money.

Unconsumption is a word used to describe everything that happens after an act of acquisition.

Unconsumption is an invisible badge.

Unconsumption means the accomplishment of properly recycling your old cellphone, rather than the guilt of letting it sit in a drawer.

Unconsumption means the thrill of finding a new use for something that you were about to throw away.

Unconsumption means the pleasure of using a service like Freecycle (or Craigslist, Goodwill, or Salvation Army) to find a new home for the functioning DVD player you just replaced, rather than throwing it in the garbage.

Unconsumption means enjoying the things you own to the fullest – not just at the moment of acquisition.

Unconsumption means the pleasure of using a pair of sneakers until they are truly worn out – as opposed to the nagging feeling of defeat when they simply go out of style.

Unconsumption means feeling good about the simple act of turning off the lights when you leave the room.

Unconsumption is not about the rejection of things, or the demonization of things. It’s not a bunch of rules.

Unconsumption is an idea, a set of behaviors, a way of thinking about consumption itself from a new perspective.

Unconsumption is free.

CONTRIBUTORS:

Founder & Editor: Rob Walker, journalist, Savannah, GA

Editorial & Community Manager: Molly Block, marketing and business development geek, Houston, TX

Brian W. Jones, designer & writer, Göteborg, Sweden

Kashvi Kumar, Environmental Studies and Economics major at New York University

Deirdre Nelson, ever threading artist, Glasgow, Scotland

Shanna Trenholm, writer. catalyst. force of nature. San Diego, CA

* * *

Alumnus & Unconsumption logo creator: Clifton Burt, graphic designer, Portland, OR

Further information about Unconsumption can be found here.

12:11 pm - Wed, Jul 13, 2011: 37 notes

We’re very, very psyched about the latest addition to The Uncollection by way of our Unconsumption Artist Series, in which some of the brightest creative-DIY lights around make use of our logo in super-cool reuse projects.

This time around we’re lucky to have Christine Schmidt, of Yellow Owl Workshop, and author of the recent book Print Workshop: Hand-Printing Techniques + Truly Original Projects. She made the delightful video above.

Create your own stationery and envelopes with discarded paper. Created for Unconsumption by Christine Schmidt of Yellow Owl Workshop. Download Template here. For more fun projects pick up the new book: “Print Workshop: Hand-Printing Techniques +Truly Original Projects”

Junk Mail Stationery (by Yellow Owl Workshop), features music by Still Flyin’.

As Christine notes, the Uncon logo could be used in any number of the projects she’s created & collected:

The book is full of creative re-use projects, and this one is just the beginning. Use the Unconsumption logo to adorn old bottles with image transfers made with packing tape. Carve your own Unconsumption logo stamp that you can use on almost anything, or embroider your own consumption logo polo shirt that is far cooler than the original preppy horseman.

But this one really is particularly cool. I love the way she’s interpreted our famous Mr. (Ms?) Cart logo! (See below.) I also love that the project involves doing something useful with file-folders, of which I personally have a surfeit. (If you missed the link to the downloadable PDF template for the project, it’s here.)

Check it out and please help us spread the word!