Required Reading // The New Sincerity: Fortnight Journal On Rethinking Industry In America
Jan 13, 2012
At 3rd Ward, we're always thrilled to encounter people who share similar visions and passions. It's not surprising then that we were quite taken by this article published by Fortnight Journal back in December.
Written by Brooklyn-based furniture designer Timothy Aaron Huston, "A New Sincerity," reflects upon the burgeoning movement toward products and goods that are locally-sourced, hand-crafted and environmentally friendly. He explores the forces behind this shift, including a rejection of the globalism that has dominated the past few decades:
Many people close to my age are idealistic, and do not like the stifling office environments that economists and industry leaders expected them to inhabit. Not content with prefab cubicle culture—like the rebellious Generation X, yet rejecting sarcasm and irony—we love seeing how things are made. There is a sense of wonder in this for those of us raised on processed food, far away from the farms, workshops and factories that make things. You cannot see process in a McDonalds, Wal-Mart or IKEA. My generation wants to see the plants grown, feed the animals, knit the socks, and sand the wood. We desire to get as close to the process as possible.
He also talks about the many benefits of opting for such a local, hands-on approach to industry, from higher quality materials and service to the ability to meet LEED standards and the face-to-face relationships and interactions that that such an environment fosters.
Ultimately, Huston concludes, this growing movement revolves around one word:
"Respect" is a key word in the newer business model of my generation. We strive to be well respected, and to be respectful to those with whom we work, as well as the environment around us.
We celebrate how something is made, and that we can make good things! Honest materials are respectfully and ethically procured. Products are crafted for a receptive and engaged audience who experience resonance. This is our new sincerity.
Couldn't have said it better ourselves. Make sure to read the entire article and check out the rest of Fortnight, a daily online journal that "uses multimedia content to document the promise of the millennial generation."
