The Consumer Attitude

Hello again! If you're taking the time to read this during the pre-Christmas madness, then cheers! I appreciate you! Speaking of Christmas, how's the Christmas shopping going? Stressful? Yeah I thought so! As the modern consumer, we so often fall into the mindset that "things" equals happiness. I mean, who hasn't worn a new outfit with a sort of smug glee!? But after a couple of wears, that "happiness" gets pushed to the back of the cupboard with all the other ordinary clothes, and so the cycle repeats itself. The things we buy never seem to satisfy us for long; why then, do we continue to place such a high value on our "stuff"? We have self serve checkouts and online shopping, all designed so that us, as a consumer, can acquire stuff with even more speed and convenience then before! But somewhere along the line, the relationship has been lost. We go through the self serve checkout, rather than interact with a cashier. We shop online rather than supporting the businesses in the community we live in. We can even get our groceries delivered to our door so that there's no chance of bumping into someone we know in the supermarket!! I think that this attitude is what makes what I'm doing so special! Humans are social creatures; for the most part, we actually need human connection to thrive. Even just little interactions, like smiling to someone you know or saying hi to the cashier at the grocery shop, help us to feel valid, grounded and included in the society around us. And so I get to connect with people, and to build relationships; I've had clients come to me and ask, "Where do I buy?" But my clients arent just purchasing things; it's human connection, it's support and friendship, it's value to their every day life! Yes it's a product, but it's the purchase of their health - and the value of that cannot be expressed with a dollar figure!

This Christmas I have enjoyed supporting my creative friends in their small business ventures! It's gestures like these that make the spirit of giving just that much more special! Check out Country Sewn and The Peeping Sheep on Instagram, and Middle of Nowhere Creations on Facebook for some special gift ideas! Your purchase will have the added bonus of making a small business owners day!!

Remember to take a step back this festive season! It's always good to have a few goodies under the tree, but don't get sucked into the consumer attitude that if we can only have more things, then we'll finally be happy. Find the happiness in your everyday - value those around you, and give gifts that really mean something this Christmas, such as your time, your ear, your shoulder, or your heart. Have a safe and happy Christmas and New Years! Much love xx