DIY Culture

I've become interested in a lot of different things lately such as blue collar work and trades, frugality, and the minimalist lifestyle. Another element has been DIY culture. I will explain what this is.

DIY means "do it yourself" and fans of This Old House know what I am talking about. Basically, you learn how to build or fix stuff yourself with your own tools and your own hands. Well, this spirit of self-reliance is not limited to homebuilding and improvement. Subcultures such as skaters, indie rock bands, pirate radio stations, street artists, and the like produce their own stuff without help from the mainstream and the establishment. The irony is when the establishment comes calling.

When I consider that Apple began as a DIY project, I see a lot of possibilities. In our day, it has never been easier to do your own thing and get it out there in terms of creation and exposure. Thanks to the internet, independent artists, writers, and musicians can get their work to the masses. When I consider that my blog attracts more readers than I ever would have gotten from small periodicals back in the day, I am impressed by the opportunity. The cultural world is utterly democratic now.

This dynamic has always existed. All the exciting and good stuff happens on the fringe until it is discovered and moves to the mainstream. The key is not to sell out. What people forget is that what made people like something was the fact that it wasn't like anything else.

The champion of the DIY movement today is Jack White. Before he became a big thing, he was an upholsterer, and he was good at it. Somewhere, that simple work ethic translated to his music and work as a record producer. He retains that garage sound in his music which has gone missing in the overproduced pop world of American Idol and autotune.

All of these new interests of mine seem connected in some way, and I don't know why I have become interested in it. Maybe I am coming to terms with getting old or the fact that I am never going to be rich or famous. Or maybe it is the recession. But I find myself turning to a simple and earnest way of living. DIY is definitely part of that.

Here are some links to more on this topic:

D.I.Y. OR DIE: How To Survive as an Independent Artist

Make magazine

Beautiful Losers

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