This week I contributed to the class by explaining how important it is when created clothes, shoes or accessories that we should assume it will not be in style forever. Therefore make the design recyclable and reusable to be able to make the next thing that is in style. As designers, we should not think about creating for the long-term when it comes to fashion, but create it by thinking what is going to happen to the item six months down the road when the consumer is ready to get rid of it. How can we make it better for the environment? If we use harmful materials thinking someone is going to want it for 30 years, while yes that may be true for very few people it would be foolish of us designers to think we can help change the environment by thinking consumers will want it long-term. Everyone is looking for the newest, most trendy thing on the market.
My major takeaways from this past week in class was how important it is to pair up with the poor to help them bring them out of poverty. While yes I have heard people say, “well this would just bring more people up consuming even more products”, yes while that may be true but what about the other side of this? It would also bring more people into a certain community to help save the earth. With the right education, these people currently in the poverty areas could potentially help save the place we call home, Earth. Another takeaway I have gained from the past week was how essential it is to design products thinking about sustainability. We need to be aware of how we can save materials and develop a plan for when consumers lose interest in our designs due to being out of style.
Over the past week, meditation has been my favorite part of my day by far. I have been using music throughout my meditation and I do not know if I will ever stop even after this course. Something about sitting and diving deep into my mind and soul is very comforting and a fantastic way to start off the day. I do my daily meditation early in the morning when I have just woken up. It is a perfect way to gather my thoughts for the day and to relax for 10 minutes before my day gets crazy and stressful. I have even found if I am stressed throughout the day I will do the counting and slow breathing method just to help calm me down and get my thoughts back together. I find that it helps me focus more throughout the day and stay on task without having a breakdown. There have been many times where I heard or seen people perform meditation techniques throughout the day but I have never taken the time for myself to give it a try. I am grateful for this new meditation technique and will continue to get better and improve my mindfulness skills.