More than you might imagine...or maybe not!

So this creative reuse thing is pretty special.  Right?  Well, there IS the old saying that there is never anything new under the sun.  Indeed, reuse is something that we all practice and that we grew up with, our parents grew up with and their parents before that.  Anytime we use something a second time, we are reusing it.  So what makes it special now?

It's probably that we have finally become aware that new isn't always necessary and that used is okay - again - and in fact, it's kinda hip.  We are relearning that objects can take on a new life once we think of them a little differently.  I know that I started thinking of stuff differently when I realized that I could think about it by the material from which it was made.

Thanks, Two Girls Being Crafty !

"That's not a toothbrush, it's plastic."  Or," This isn't a screen, it's metal."  Or whatever.  It is what the object is made of that defines it, not what it is "used for." And THIS is the essence of creative reuse.  By redefining a material by what it is made out of rather that what it is used for, we get permission to look at it differently and subsequently, USE it differently.  That is what makes this creative reuse movement different from those before.  It isn't poverty-driven or guilt-driven, it is curiosity-driven! (and probably a little of both of the others, too.) And, it is environmentally driven.  We are beginning to realize that there just aren't enough raw materials in the world to last forever.  It is time to mine our past for objects of the future and consider these discards as raw materials.  Creative reuse doesn't have to be artistic - but it sure is a great way to break through some of the perception barriers - it can be practical.  It can be the basis of problem-solving simple issues.  In fact, as fun as the artistic creative reuse is right now, like all past times, it will probably wear out.  But the need for reusing objects will not.
 
I think you might find this interesting - here is a list of creative reuse centers around the world,  http://www.artofrecycle.org/our_neighbors.html#online_resources, take a look.  Learn about what is going on.  And, check out this effort being made to form an alliance of reusers, http://www.reusealliance.org/.

Shop reuse, have fun doing it and make a difference at the same time.  And know that reuse is here to stay.  We might as well make it fun.

Submitted by Gail Rost, 10-24-13