billkirk

Billykirk from The Scout on Vimeo.

thoughts on what it means to turn on today

we all look back longingly on the sixties, how there was this collective spirit of action, this feeling that something was happening, and people felt a part of it. A good example of this was when acid entered the scene, and people started talking about turning on. Turning on stood for something larger than itself. It wasnt only about taking acid, it was having a full appreciation for the directions in which things were going. It was like “are you seeing what I’m seeing?” And the affirmative responses were what made the spirit collective.

I’ve  been waiting around for our generation’s acid, wondering whether it would ever come and what form it would take. Now I’m thinking its already hear. It’s twitter and rss and personal blogs. It used to be “you turned on?” and now its “you linked in?” i think this is awesome, and way more promising then acid. We’ve seen the burning idealism of our parents fade into realism, and we wont make the same mistakes they did. We’re learning how to incorporate the two, so that neither one grows too big and self-destructs. We’re not gonna fuck around with free love anymore, but we’re really into free music. And we’re not getting caught up in us and them. If our parents want to link in too, thats great.

I’m coming from a crowd of people who’ve always been skeptical of the general populace and eager to distance themselves from the crowd. Kids who dream of starting a commune and going back to the land. Though I really dont want to criticize this sentiment, its getting harder for me not to. My stance now is, if you guys want to get off the grid then go for it, but I’m staying. I’m gonna get in with kids who are growing food on rooftops, and apprentice an old craftsman in the city. Why dont you guys come out of the woods in a couple years, and lets see whose excitement has best sustained itself.

this blog marks my self-declared initiation into the silly and exciting world of grown ups. now i shave regularly. now i schedule you in for five o’ clock. now i keep a blog.

welcome to my blog

i have several plans:

1 – create a forum for craftsmen  to sell their products directly to individual buyers, like an eBay for handcrafted products. I’m thinking like felt hats and leather boots kind of crafts, not really Martha Stewart kind of crafts. Dying crafts is what I’m going for. Handmade pocket watches. Real candles with not overwhelming scents. Maybe furniture. I want there to be a general unifying aesthetic to the products offered. Nothing Ikea-ish. Nothing too understated. Just good, cut-to-the-chase quality products. A motto? how about: life is better with better stuff.

I realized I wanted to do this after visiting an amazing felt hat store in Quebec City. I got into a long conversation with the owner, and she shared with me her theory of good things. I’ll try to find the name of the store and post it.

I’ll post my other ideas soon too