we need to talk about 'the Ikea effect'
Рет қаралды 79,806
5 ай бұрынOur furniture habits have a hidden meaning, and honestly? I'm excited about it.
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thedecisionlab.com/biases/ike...
www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication Files/11-091.pdf
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Art, Wealth and Riches by William Morris: www.marxists.org/archive/morr...
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@EllieRoseMcKee 5 ай бұрын
Sometimes I wonder if I live in some kind of alternate universe because I don’t find Ikea instructions hard to follow and I’ve never had a piece of their furniture break on me. Even the bookshelves we’ve had nearly ten years and moved house with-still brilliant condition. I use my Ikea desk every single day and it is perfect. No bad quality here.
@heleni0 5 ай бұрын
Ikea instructions are probably the easiest to follow of any flat pack furniture company i've ever had to put together.
@guesswhatrielle 5 ай бұрын
Agreed. I think the trick with ikea is to find the pieces that are made of better materials (wood, metal, etc.) rather than mdf. I’ve had nothing but good experiences with IKEA using this method.
@aukkran 5 ай бұрын
Ikea is great. I had to rewrite this comment because it got too long with praise. If one's worried about quality, just get the solid wood items instead of the chipboard. It's still cheaper than other manufacturers (generally) and it lasts what I assume will eventually be several generations. My parents first furniture set is still doing amazing, and since most of their stuff works with other models, we were able to update/replace anything that was deteriorating through the years (mostly just a very specific model of drawer rails)
@amypatterson7395 5 ай бұрын
I honestly think the perception of IKEA furniture as impossible to put together and liable to fall apart is a kind of learned helplessness from people in a culture that is so removed from the process of craftsmanship that the idea of “building” your own furniture (even if it’s just putting together some screws and pegs) is daunting. I’ve always found IKEA to be the most easy to understand instructions. I’ve called it “legos for adults” because I find it so soothing, and I’ve volunteered to build furniture for nearly all of my friends at one point or another. But something I’ve realized in the process of that, and in this past year of buying furniture secondhand, is that folks will just… give up the second it seems difficult. It doesn’t have to ACTUALLY be difficult, just seem like it. This year I’ve purchased two large items secondhand - a trundle bed and a motorized standing desk. Both items, when I got them from their previous owners, were shaky and seemed flimsy. And when you looked closely it was because MOST OF THE SCREWS WEREN’T TIGHTENED. And there was nothing wrong with any of the parts or materials because as soon as I actually put them back together after transporting them, they’re far sturdier than they ever were at their previous locations. I think it’s hard to shit-talk IKEA when people aren’t even putting in the bare minimum of effort to make sure their screws and bolts are actually tightened. Their stuff can REALLY last if you actually treat it well and make sure you didn’t just throw your hands up in defeat preemptively.
@wednes3day 5 ай бұрын
Gosh yeah.. I mean I've mainly grown up around IKEA, but so far .. some things of course have dents and scratches, otherwise the worst are some chairs being a bit creaky after 15+ years I wager
@sonjadengler806 5 ай бұрын
The shot of you chatting with a stranger on the train because you were both knitting delighted me.
@apocketfulofprose 5 ай бұрын
I am pretty sure that’s her mum 🥰
@victoriajohn3988 5 ай бұрын
I would DEFINITELY listen to a podcast/audio only of you chatting chill like this about various topics. So thoughtful and also calming whilst talking crunchy topics. 🧡
@baileyannabella 5 ай бұрын
I just joined her Patreon recently and there is ton's of amazing podcasts already on there and new ones every week. this sounds like an ad lol - but I felt the same way and have been really enjoying it!
@RetrocenChic 5 ай бұрын
Agreed! When she said, "Put Leena on in the background" I went... How did she know?! Her voice really is calming and her thoughts are insightful and entertaining.
@enjay5087 5 ай бұрын
I do sometimes think Ikea gets a bad rap of being the fast fashion of furniture. No, it's not likely to be in an antiques shop at any time in the future, but I have furniture from them which is 15+ years old and still going strong. I sometimes think it's more the consumer's belief in it being fast furniture which makes them think it's so easily interchangeable. Loved the video.
@21lizra 4 ай бұрын
the furniture you bought from them 15+ years ago is very likely much better quality than the same product you'd buy today. I've had to opportunity to do side by side comparisons and it's incredibly noticeable how cheap it's all become. It's a shame, a lot of old ikea furniture was actually pretty nice. But today it very much is the fast fashion equivalent.
@YourBuddyDidi 4 ай бұрын
The thing is that they have a huge range, they have products almost for every budget. The entry products tend to be less solid, and lately even those are fine. I have some libraries that have been moved more than 4 times to different houses, have missing pieces, and still are OK. The trick is to not lean against them 😅 But fr though, most people don’t move that much. So ikea pieces last if they’re taken care of.
@saram404 4 ай бұрын
@@21lizra i feel like thats arguable. A lot of times is just people not building them right. Which makes them less sturdy and easier to break. And its not even hard to build them currectly. I dont think the quality has changed that much when i compare things old things to the news ive bought for what would be the equivalent price rn. Their bookshelves, even cheaper ones, especially are something that needs to be built right to last and holds and insane amount of weight without even bending. If theyre built wrong tho theyll be flimsy and can break on you easily.
@Maitika 4 ай бұрын
The most important benefit of IKEA furniture for me is that if you have furniture from the main IKEA series, you can change and upgrade them for DECADES! Need new shelves for your Billy or wanna change things up with new doors? No problem! Need more drawers in your Pax instead of hanging rods? Sure thing. And don't get me started on basic Ivar shelves. Still going strong after decades and stuff is still available if something new is needed. And you can get missing or broken parts for free (like screws and such) or ask at the help desk if spare parts are available. Additionally I always walk through the "outlet" section right before the register area - sometimes you're lucky and find exactly what you were looking for for a much cheaper price, or you can score needed spart parts or upgrades for your furniture. Or sometimes even just get a spare part and use it for some other building project! Pro tipp: use kitchen furniture like Metod series for other purposes, like as a sideboard, tv stand etc. They are extremely versatile and available in a lot of different sizes und you can count on being able to change and upgrade them for a very long time, because IKEA seldom changed series like that. Upgrade with a solid wood top und voila! Best part of building IKEA furniture yourself: you can take it apart and rebuilt if you're moving. No need to handle a big Pax in one piece and waste a lot of space in moving vehicles.
@lsamoa 4 ай бұрын
The trick is to not move them. You can use the same Billy bookcase for 20-30 years without a problem if you assembled it right and it stays in one place. But the minute you move to a new home it'll fall apart.
@BryonyClaire 5 ай бұрын
I guess it's because of the fact i didn't grow up with money, but knowing how to do things myself was the only way i could live, i learned how to cook at a v young age, washing, cleaning, fixing things, all of that, but in order to be "socially acceptable" to my middle class peers, i learned how to do so many other things myself to try and fit in, from sewing, to my nails, to my hair and makeup. I've always had admiration for people who can do things themselves and saw them as very skilled, but like you point out, classism doesn't value handiwork as its not "the right kind of intelligence" that university gives, knowing how to do things yourself doesn't shift class, and I'm glad people are starting to shift away from the mindset that changing class isn't the main goal anymore, it's pretty icky that it ever was the main goal
@socpancake 5 ай бұрын
you should add “a thoughtful, soothing, poetic, and inspiring piece of vlog art” to the list of things you’re actually quite capable of making
@annalizer1992 5 ай бұрын
So true! I too have an English degree, and focused on academics for most of my life, but I am now retraining to be a gardener. I was very unhappy in my office job, even more so when the pandemic hit, and recovered from burnout by being outside and making stuff with my hands. I really enjoy learning about plants, pavements and power tools. It's not been easy being a woman in a very male dominated field, but it's so much less stressful than having to meet deadlines all the time, and I sleep so much better after having done hard manual labour all day. Funnily enough, I am also a sewist, and workwear (not in the office power suit sense, but in the tradesperson sense) has also given me a new perspective on clothes. It's constructed to last and to wash well, it has loads of pockets, loops for tools etc, and it has loads of reinforcements. Although these clothes are also mass produced, they are a world away from shoddily constructed fast fashion pieces. It's also very freeing to dress for utility, since it really doesn't matter how I look when I'm at work. Yet good workwear also makes me feel much more capable. It's comfortable and it looks pretty good on me, but it's not sexy in the traditional sense. Anyway, I guess this is just my way of saying that doing things and feeling the ikea effect can be facilitated both by making clothes and by wearing the right clothes for the job.
@36424567254 5 ай бұрын
The "wearing appropriate clothes for the job" is actually another very well known phsycological effect. They don't even have to offer any special feature or practically allow you to work better per se, the point is that they prime the mind for the kind of job you are about to do, e.g. people in suits tended to perform better on tests requiring high-level thinking as opposed to people casually dressed. Which is also why most people would be better off _not_ trying to work-from-home or study in PJs, as many people learned during Covid.
@sqwooshy 4 ай бұрын
Hey im studying to become a gardener too! Seems like, atleast here, the field is getting more equal. When my teacher entered the field it was very very male dominated and discriminating. But my class only has 2 men and like 25+ women, soon the tables may have turned lol.
@annalizer1992 3 ай бұрын
@@sqwooshyWhere I am in the Netherlands it's not yet, but there are definitely more women entering the field. I'd say it's about 25% women in my class, but women still don't seem to thrive in the more traditional landscaping companies (neither did I, lol, I lasted about two months). The last company I worked for, there were around 3 women, compared to 50 men. Many of the female gardeners I know are more interested in eco gardening. In the eco gardening network I'm in, there's loads of women doing cool stuff, either working for a smaller eco friendly company, or they've decided to start their own one-woman companies. Also, the men I've met at eco networking events have been pretty forward thinking, feminist and very encouraging and helpful.
@yarnweasel 5 ай бұрын
Such a gorgeous video Leena. My degree was in textiles, and I specialised in weaving, so it’s the only time in my life I’ve really had that sense you talk about of making something from start to finish. Weaving is a very special, meditative process that feels physically innate in a way that’s hard to describe. You would love the process, I think - spinning yarn from scraps of fibre and weaving it thread by thread into a cloth to do whatever you like with. Creating dyes from fruit and vegetable scraps and plants you can find on your doorstep. Would love to see you explore some of these things as you go along your fibre and self sufficiency journey!
@Strawlighte 5 ай бұрын
Weaving feels so intimidating but this comment really inspired me to look into it
@myconfusedmerriment 5 ай бұрын
I actually just watched a farmer’s process video showing how they make yarn, going from freshly sheared sheep’s wool to hand spinning the yarn. I do needle felting and thought it would be interesting to see how the rovings I buy for my art are processed. It was honestly really fun to watch and it struck me that while it is a lot of work, if I had the inclination to practice, it’s something I could absolutely do. I think we look at things like sewing or spinning as being beyond our capabilities. And while technology sure makes things easier, there’s something really confidence-boosting and grounding about learning to make something by hand.
@yarnweasel 5 ай бұрын
@@myconfusedmerriment This is so true - spinning and weaving are so much more achievable than people think. I actually think they’re very forgiving in that although it takes a lot of time and practice to become an expert, the basics are very easy to grasp. I think literally anybody could learn how to spin, weave, or sew within hours.
@CiaoBellaBee 5 ай бұрын
I got positively influenced by Ariel Blissett to make my own bookshelves this year. I’ve always wanted built ins in the alcove by the fireplace but could really justify the cost of hiring someone to do it. Then watching her I realised I could give it a go myself. I’m also planning on trying to repair my garden fence myself too. It is really satisfying to do something by your own hand and be able to say “yep, I did that”
@carolcvargas1 5 ай бұрын
I also am in the process of making bookshelves by myself because of Ariel Bisset! I have to say it looks way easier and fun watching her doing it and showing more the results than all the headaches involved in the process 😅
@paularunslondon 5 ай бұрын
My friend is always sending me pics of the DIY she does on her house, it’s so impressive. Maybe when I have my own place I’ll be able to do it too. Built in bookshelves would be the dream!
@StephBer1 5 ай бұрын
Whatever you do Leena, never stop learning. I'm 61 and gave up work 4 years ago, for a while. The first year was great but then Covid hit, no-one was hiring an old lady (it didn't help that we moved cities as well) and so it's now been 4 years since I've worked. We are fine financially, but I'm brain dead. I don't want to study. I want to do woodworking but my husband gets grumpy about it, as I'm also ADHD, and pick up and put down things all the time. I can understand his viewpoint, as he always thinks 'the professional should do it' but, honestly, wouldn't it be great to build your own shelving? I think it's also because he HATES anything handyman, he even hates building Ikea furniture! I've decided that this year I'm do it. Thanks Leena. ♥
@nineteenfortyeight6762 4 ай бұрын
I haven't worked since the first lockdown and decided that was when i6was finally going to fix up my apartment. I didn't have anyone there to say Don't. Did everything myself, and it was GLORIOUS. Go for it!
@iStacieN 5 ай бұрын
I found this format very calming and cosy ❤️
@vintagecameragirl 5 ай бұрын
I've been a volunteer in a charity shop now for nearly 8 years, I'm disabled and have been 20 years, the joy of feeling useful was enough for me to keep going in. But one thing I learnt while there is just how much people need 'business'. All the (mostly ladies) I work with have lost their full time employment, either from retirement, or like me illness, and they all came to the shop because they needed something to do. We share skills, stories, laughs. I'm glad that the skills we talk about aren't lost, the knitting, the sewing, decorating. And it's kinda heart warming to know these skills aren't lost, but regrowing.
@carolcvargas1 5 ай бұрын
it feels fitting that I just stopped working on renovating my room to watch this video while I eat the vegetarian food I cooked for myself. all new things I'm learning how to do this year: cooking, being a vegetarian, painting, sanding, screwing shelves etc
@rocioiribe5841 5 ай бұрын
i was at work watching this video so it was not so convenient that your video made me think of my Mexican background and how when i was little my grandmother and other friends of the family used to crochet (i think is the term) these beautiful colorful napkins or tablecloths or placemats and i almost bust into tears. the idea that i just accepted that "yea people just don't do that anymore" (like my mom told me) or that "yea good luck learning how to make that" (like when i expressed interest in learning to make a traditional dish) or that i'm truly sad my grandmother isn't around to teach me anymore made me so deeply sad. but like i can teach myself and think of it as honoring them in some small small, yet powerful way. omg thank you for this video.
@CorinneDemyanovich 5 ай бұрын
This was very therapeutic to watch. ❤️🩹
@Jip-en-Janne 5 ай бұрын
This is such a good video! If I would have a platform I would shove this video in everyone’s face. This is actually a very interesting topics for me as a disabled person. I am unable to work or pursue academics due to my invisible illness, but what I can do is spend my days at home on KZfaq learning anything I could ever want. And I find myself mostly learning how to make stuff. How to sew (by hand or machine), how to knit, how to crochet, how to embroider, how to bead, how to felt (wet and dry), how to carve a spoon out of a stick of even how to make pottery without a kiln like our ancestors did. I am learning and making stuff and learning the history of those items that shape our day to day. I am 25, I don’t have a degree and I don’t work. I’m young, but I can’t party or explore the world. I have “failed” in so many ways, yet if you look further than our cultures current voice I am getting pretty far. I make art, learned to think critically, have good conversations and support my community where I can. But also I know how to make my own clothes from scratch and how I could make my own shoes. I know how to keep my plants alive and grow my own food. Create a practical homely space to live in. How to make the pots to cook in, make utensils to eat with. All things that have become hobbies for most of us yet give us such a strong connection to the world around us and shape how we want to interact with it. There is so much unseen a value in there. I want to add that’s it’s my privilege that I get disability pay that allows me to do this. I am very aware that not everyone has
@MeldaRavaniel 5 ай бұрын
6:31 i took a sheep sheering class at my local farm festival and it was really neat and challenging. I've since learned that I have natural limits of the artisan stuff I can do because I'm really allergic to hay and barns, but I now have friends who do that part, so it's cool to know I'm a part of that chain, and to know the people in it. Thanks for continuing to give us hope. Also, have you picked up "not the end of the world" yet? It seems right up your no books in a... Alley. It's in my library hold list.
@PointSoldiers 5 ай бұрын
Ive been a digital artist since I was 12 and last year, age 30 I started sewing (quilting) and never looked back. The tangible, physicality of creating something REAL and practical is so gratifying and soul fulfilling. Its like therapy. Creating something with my hands and gifting it to others feels so human. Digital and online hobbies just can't replace it. I really identified with this video.
@taliyahofthenasaaj7570 4 ай бұрын
I've been a digital artist and animator for a few years, working towards professional work, and I know I'll be sticking with digital work for a long time, but this year I discovered gouache painting and I'm in love. It's the same feeling, the feeling of making something you can physically be there with, look at, touch, experience. It's certainly something special.
@EinhornAnspitzer 5 ай бұрын
I adore the new format ❤ and the IKEA effect gives me hope too... the human drive to make and create is so strong that even companies cant help but use it for profit. That is hopeful... and I really want to learn sewing now too.
@david.grever 5 ай бұрын
I really loved this! ❤🎉 It sounds quite ironic that you're battling fast fashion with the 'ikea effect' (but so true though), I should learn upholstery next
@zabmcauley5647 5 ай бұрын
This was not the video I expected from the title and i still loved it
@Strawlighte 5 ай бұрын
Leena I loved this video! I was completely entranced the whole time. You’re a revolutionary poet
@juliak1615 4 ай бұрын
I wholeheartedly agree. I didn’t expect to feel so moved, that title didn’t give anything away ha!
@xXNekou 5 ай бұрын
It recently hit me (I'm 30) that I really have no life skills. I'm creative, I'm a tattoo artist, I can draw, but I am a shit cook, I can't bake either, I don't know how to grow my own vegetables, fruits or herbs, I don't know which thigs/plants and mushrooms in the forest are edible and which ones would kill me, I don't know how to sew my own clothes, or how to fix a tap, I don't know how to do metalwork or woodwork... I am pretty useless I guess, but I spent 12 years at school and 4,5 years at a university, and all these years gave me close to zero life skills that would be actually useful in an adult life (or any skills that would be helpful at least for my mental health, and building relationships). What a complete WASTE of time and resources...
@TomJohnson67 5 ай бұрын
This video has a certain understated hopefulness to it that really made me pause. It's lovely to see something uplifting online.
@basilkat21 5 ай бұрын
Your voice is so calming! I just bought my first sewing machine in December and learning how to sew for the first time. Your videos about your sewing journey are always inspiring.
@ZaydaFleming 5 ай бұрын
Woot woot. I have several bookcases I had to assemble myself and one antique bookcase I drove like 10 hours round trip to get (not straight, my sister lives in a big city so I drove to her and then we drove together to the bookshelf, and then I drove home over the course of like 3 days). And the difference in quality is insane between this 90 year old mass produced bookcase and the modern ones. If I downsize to a smaller space and have to get rid of some furniture- the ikea effect will not save the modern bookcases. I am holding onto the antique one as long as I can.
@gh0stcup 4 ай бұрын
I've always admired my dad's DIY skills. He has a very frugal mindset from living in poverty as a child, and a talent for maths and engineering, so we rarely have to pay other people for home repairs. I can't do the things he does and I don't think I'll ever be able to. I used to just see this as "I can't", but learning more about both myself and disability has helped to explain why. My hand-eye co-ordination and dexterity skills are just good enough to get me by and appear non-disabled day to day, but not good enough for me to take on any projects in terms of construction or repair without getting something wrong to the point it makes everything worse, or potentially injuring myself or others. I have to learn to be okay with this, and especially be okay in asking for help with these things instead of just admitting defeat and buying something new when there's a chance the things I already have can be saved by someone else with more skills and expertise than me.
@mimirobin 5 ай бұрын
I HAD AN IKEA AD PLAYING BEFORE THIS OMG
@YasuTaniina 5 ай бұрын
Hi, first time viewer. My family and I celebrated my 30th birthday in 2020 at a restaurant like normal. 2 weeks later when we were celebrating my second kids first birthday it was at home because the US had shut down. I got into homemade things and crafts pretty early on. My mom got into fiber arts when she was little, so she taught us how to sew, knit, crochet, embroider, tat, smock. Even how to process wool, dye and spin it, She's actually bought me 2 spinning wheels over the years and I have a couple drop spindles. And then I myself have always loved cooking and baking. I've done it so much that even when I bake I don't always use a recipe and it typically turns out well. I also got really into ceramics in college, especially the wheel, and have always meant to get back into it. I have craft adhd😅 I remember watching a rerun episode of connections as a kid, and at the end of that particular episode he talks about everything around us being mass produced, it was kind of doom and gloom. He asked the viewers to empty their pockets and analyze the contents as proof. Well in my pocket at the time was a little tatted butterfly I made. It made me feel really good.
@emilydenomme2902 5 ай бұрын
oooo yes I know so many people who are more interested in things like making their own food from scratch, growing things at home, creating their own items, etc! I love love love it! I really hope we get to a place where we are more connected with one another instead of big box stores and go back to creating on our own as well to share with others!
@dimitrav8601 5 ай бұрын
What a lovely format💕💕💕💕💕💕
@jenniferlachs7145 5 ай бұрын
So cosy and lovely. You always manage to put into words what I am feeling or have a hunch of but can't quite articulate. I've also been feeling this very strong urge to make things over the past few years, maybe because I've also worked online for so long, but I think there's more to it. I also see it as a crucial skill for a better future to learn how to make, grow, mend, reuse. And it's so exciting.
@CassianGray 4 ай бұрын
I love the cozy vibe of this video. It made me very glad that since the pandemic started, I've taught myself crocheting and sewing and have made myself a fair few items of clothing and dozens of crochet projects like blankets, hot pads, hats, etc. If society as we know it collapsed tomorrow, I'd still be able to contribute to a community with my hands. And that helps me feel like my time hasn't been wasted. :)
@eltsimpidi 5 ай бұрын
I read about the Ikea effect a couple months ago and had very similar thoughts! The way corporations take advantage of it is terrible and I know it's supposed to be a bad thing or a ''humans are so silly'' thing but outside of the corporate context I find it so beautiful and human to give value to something you made. I'm so glad you made a video on this and my thoughts on the subject are leena approved ahahaha
@lilycarlson5774 5 ай бұрын
Thank You for sharing your hope!
@tcwaxwing 5 ай бұрын
Wonderful ruminations. An aspect I must add is how the rat race and barely surviving it has separated us from the ability to be makers. Ability being time, energy, and resources to give over to making. Because when you say it's retirees who go from wanting do-nothing to make-lots, I believe a huge component of that is they're no longer caught in the cogs of work to live, and fitting whatever living they can in the fleeting moments between the hours given to work. When you retire, suddenly time is its own flexible resource, and making for the sake of making becomes possible. This is especially true from my vantage, as an American, where we've allowed corporate and capitalist ends to devalue everything except work to live (and if you're a really good person, you freely give away even more of yourself to work, not making or community or figuring out how to live while working). I hope we can all dig in and make time to make, despite that. It super does get one in touch with so many important things, from satisfaction to honed ethics to compassion.
@dottiewi661 5 ай бұрын
The irony of starting this wonderful video with an IKEA ad.
@Helen-jv9mq 4 ай бұрын
An aside: I was captivated by the pants fastener that had three “settings”- making a mental note of that. Appreciate this reframing of the idea that we all, consciously or not, crave having an investment in the things we own. (Perhaps that’s what the trend of extravagant packaging 😢 is actually tapping into: you’re essentially disassembling the item, with the opportunity to admire how it’s put together)
@tararobinson5923 5 ай бұрын
Leena I have been watching u for years and have been really inspired by your Year of Make Do! I read a book called “Unraveling” by Peggy Orenstein where she makes a sweater “from scratch” and it’s truly one of my favorite books - I’d highly recommend!Last week I picked up my first crochet kit ever (in large part bc I was inspired by this channel) and found it so rewarding just to make a silly little plushie narwhal. Like you, it felt really radical to be able to make something and learn a new tactile skill. I want to thank you for pushing me down this path towards self reliance, creativity, and growth!
@whateverislovely8654 5 ай бұрын
I also found Unraveling very interesting. Books about craft and skills down to the minute details are fascinating.
@heathersparlor 5 ай бұрын
I am 45, and this did happen to me. But now my daughter is 20 and is experiencing this because of quality and cost . There is something in doing for yourself!
@aleksandratomic328 5 ай бұрын
Loved it! Btw I think we've reached a point in history when SO MUCH textile has already been made, and so much synthetic textile, that we would never ever have to weave anything again to clothe everyone. I love knowing I can do sth but I do try to make with stuff that is already here, it makes me feel like the forager of the apocalypse xD Which we kind of are 😅
@thebraidedmane 5 ай бұрын
This was lovely. It hit me so hard when you said the thing about feeling helpless--I've sewed and done a variety of handicrafts since I was a teenager, but it wasn't until the pandemic when I actually made any of my everyday clothes (yes, knickers too!) and I didn't realize it until now but BOY was that feeling a major reason why. I was feeling helpless about the world generally, but also about specific things--having gained weight and struggling to find comfortable, affordable clothes that fit, never mind anything that was in line with my personal style. I keep going down rabbit holes (what if I could make all my own socks? what if I could build my own printer?) and I think this is a lot of why--I no longer want to feel like I have no control or input, that I just have to accept the products that are put in front of me even when they don't meet my needs, because I don't have any other way of acquiring those items. There IS a joy in being involved in the process, and there's also a joy in taking back control of some of what I need to survive.
@agata1573 5 ай бұрын
I'm wondering if you ever thought about starting an online group of people who make cool stuff like yourself and exchange them occasionally... I hope im making sense, I mean I really admire your sense of fashion combined with your concern for the planet resulting in you starting to knit and sew, it's so amazing! I also only ever buy used clothes and even that rarely, and since I don't have a knack for making them like you, I would be delighted to exchange say a knitted hat for a painting, (that's my thing) or other things too like ceramics, photographs, peoms, stories, etc. from other people who might be making stuff ... I'm rambling, sorry, but if ever you get into something like that please consider my work for the exchange fiasco. I'm sorry if this is too long and not interesting to you, your videos always put all sorts of wild ideas in to my head and I thank you for that 🙏🤗
@martevandergraaf923 5 ай бұрын
I rarely comment on videos, but just had to say that I adored this so much
@meltheissa 5 ай бұрын
Agree with others on how lovely this video was... but also, I'm now hanging out for a video of Leena shearing a sheep, spinning the wool, dying it and knitting something out of it... that would be epic!
@karaleigh_eva 5 ай бұрын
When I make things for myself -- even with all their imperfections -- I feel like I could just look at my little something for hours and smile
@agata1573 5 ай бұрын
I love this! It feels like you're telling us a good night story yet the profound message that you manage to transmit that way is invigorating. You are a real artist Leena, and how deeply you care about the world and the things that profound care makes you accomplish is honestly very inspiring. No matter what the choice of vehicle for getting your art out to us, be it video, book, etc. i hope you never stop!
@LuMiLevelUp 5 ай бұрын
Who else got an ikea ad before this video? 😆
@JamieLBW 5 ай бұрын
I've been trying to get into knitting again now that my first kiddo is nearing 2 and i don't fall face first into the mattress also the second he goes to bed as much 😂. This has been inspiring and thoughtful. Thank you!
@Poeticbadger 5 ай бұрын
I want this as an op ed in some fancy newspaper and I want to sit with a pot of tea while reading on a cold day.
@sophiecronshaw 5 ай бұрын
This was simultaneously soothing and thought-provoking 💖 Would love more videos in this format!!
@triton5937 5 ай бұрын
this format is amazing, so calming as it topples important subjects
@Jasmine-tr1zs 5 ай бұрын
This is a beautifully constructed video. I appreciate your channel because the topics you do videos about are so varied and you are able to be simultaneously so poignant and relatable while talking about them all.
@1zippy 4 ай бұрын
This video made me happy cry over my morning oatmeal. I left my office job 2 years ago and now spend everyday working with my hands restoring antiques, and I couldn’t be happier. Keep spreading the gospel!! You’re right!
@catherinegreen8440 5 ай бұрын
This was one of the best audio essays on making that I have ever heard. The visuals were also lovely. Many thanks ❤️
@catherinerobbins7597 5 ай бұрын
Leena 😭 I needed this so badly. Thank you so much for your beautiful essay. I feel this ^so* deeply 🙏🏼
@katypilling2836 5 ай бұрын
I love this video :) I am doing a degree in product design and what you mentioned about William Morris is interesting. Its interesting to see what changes we can make on a personal level for ourselves and the world by learning to make and craft, but I've been learning recently about how design on a larger scale has changed and developed. The history of consumerism is fascinating and scary, and if you are interested in learning about design movements that have attempted to tackle our cultural mindset around consumption and production, the Bauhaus movement and Constructivism are interesting. Morris was a part of the arts and crafts movement, and it has a lot of ideological pros, however when you dig further it was hugely criticised as the crafted products that the movement promoted were only affordable to the wealthy!
@stardust9625 5 ай бұрын
This was incredibly soothing and empowering. Aaaaah i love your videos, Leena. (P.S. Seeing Melanie's book lying on the fabric as you were cutting it is so wholesome. Supporting your friends 101 ❤)
@certified_bug 4 ай бұрын
This made me feel so hopeful, you have a wonderful way with words
@morelikekoolva 5 ай бұрын
This was an absolute delight to watch. You are so articulate in describing exactly how I feel. Thank you for putting words to the uncollected thoughts in my mind!
@nerd26373 5 ай бұрын
We appreciate your insights. You'll always have our support.
@punkrocksocks6390 5 ай бұрын
I’ve only just started watching your videos since around Christmas and honestly, my whole world view has changed. I was already a bit of crafter and I’ve been anxious about the environment for years but I never really wanted to look my own clothing consumption in the eye. I bought from shein a couple of times and I was pretty much raised in Primark. But you’ve inspired me to change these habits! Actually acknowledging the waste that comes from fast fashion made me feel sick, then angry, then motivated (I’m joining in on the year of make do!). All of this is just to say thank you for making me aware, and you are making a difference
@kittynekocat 5 ай бұрын
This is such a lovely video! Thank you Leena! I listened to it whilst making pizza, but will rewatch when I have a moment to enjoy the visuals too 😊
@katew7770 5 ай бұрын
God I love this video SO MUCH! I'm sitting here making cuffs for my most adventurous crochet jumper yet and with you talking about redignifying working with our hands, I got such shivers down my spine!
@WordsofaReader 5 ай бұрын
Loved everything about this. Feels like the exact pep talk I needed right now! Looking forward to following along with your year of make do and continuing to be inspired by your positive influence in the world. X
@auntieheksold-timemedicine3045 5 ай бұрын
Great video, Leena! I've been making my own clothes for a long time and I am loving the opportunity to watch as you learn all these new skills! It really isn't as hard as people think it is. It just takes some practice. Your videos are helping other people to see that, and giving them the inspiration and courage to try it for themselves!
@jinamariella2371 5 ай бұрын
Leena, you're such an inspiration for me. Thank you for all your positive an good vibey content. I feel so inspired to focus more on Self-made, diy, second hand stuff and value the things I already have. Greetings from Germany
@nellien4802 5 ай бұрын
New Format! This was lovely
@Frazyie09 5 ай бұрын
Not an Ikea ad being played before the start of this video
@hazelthorman9786 5 ай бұрын
This was such a lovely video and message to have today. Proper bit of positive for my day thankyou leena
@eleanorlumsden5511 5 ай бұрын
Lena you are a truly wonderful and inspiring person. I know how to sow and have been making random things for years but because of your videos and thoughts i have started my proses of making more things for myself and fixing more things as my act of rebellion. It makes me feel so happy
@Maraaha55 5 ай бұрын
Really enjoyed this! I'm 68, so i am almost literally a make do and mend child. My mum was almost literally always making, and took on projects like antique upholstery and furniture making, as well as all the 'normal' dressmaking, knitting, crochet, embroidery, baking, cooking, decorating, painting, gardening, normal stuff. I learned less by formally being taught and more by just watching, and imbibing an atmosphere, and simply rubbing along with all the textures of her experience. The idea of so many millions of people who never had that, for whom a 'dart' was a mysterious device, for example, was a bit alien to me, but also rather worrying. It speaks of a separation from a tangible world anf THAT world is one where ideas and reality are vullnerable to distortion and abuses, so that is potentially very dangerous. William Morris was flawed as his time and class, but he had a concept not without value, and one deeply dismissed by his peers. Ironically he himself undervalued his own peoples' skills, but he at least left an idea. Not one that working class or poorer people needed spelling out though! Ypu did it yourself or you did without, but it all left me seldom feeling that I have no idea what to do or how to start. Ive seen this among my friends who's parents 'did' things, who grew up with fresh garden food, or making tablet, pulling rhubarb or potatoes, or cutting peat. That solid physical contact that is part of making also has a spiritual element almoat always overlooked - not religiou, but wholistic. And perhaps even holy.
@jolim1755 5 ай бұрын
I love this new format, its so soothing for the soul
@LaundryFaerie 5 ай бұрын
Leena, I wonder if you might enjoy a particular kind of book I discovered some years back and unexpectedly found I loved -- the WWII-era household/sewing manual. There are quite a few of these, and most of them feature make-do and mend projects -- how to make your own simple accessories, how to make over an old dress or blouse or coat into a new article of clothing, how to mend clothes so the fixes are nearly invisible, how to make a men's suit into a woman's suit and how to remake Dad's shirts into children's clothes. I'm not that much of a sewist, but I find these books deeply fascinating and a peek into history that people often ignore -- the everyday life of the wartime household. These books are also often quite practical and do a fair job of giving at least introductory instructions on all kinds of sewing projects, from basic running stitches all the way up to re-covering furniture. One book in my collection, "The Complete Book of Sewing" by Constance Talbot, has been digitized and is available at the Internet Archive, if you're curious.
@landuola 5 ай бұрын
beautiful meditation! loved these ideas so much
@teaisfortania 5 ай бұрын
I love this video format. So soothing
@erinrabideau3691 5 ай бұрын
I love watching you mend and rework stuff. So inspiring and so many good ideas! 🐸 💋 👋🏻
@eozisfine 5 ай бұрын
I love the new format. My brain loves the new format. My emotions love the new format. And the very hopeful and intelligent content.
@Sarah-cy8bc 5 ай бұрын
I loved hearing your thoughts on this! I’m starting a program in i/o psychology (applying psychology to the workplace) and in one of my classes we discussed how task identity (seeing your work result in an end product) contributes to job satisfaction - I feel like that has to connect to the notion that we like to feel self sufficient in being able to say we *made* something ourselves, and assembly line work is a perfect example of a dearth of task identity. We also covered how added extrinsic motivation has been found to undermine existing intrinsic motivation, in some cases - so, when we love to do something, we’re intrinsically motivated to do it, but being paid to do it somehow makes us feel *less* motivated - it’s illogical/counterintuitive for things to work this way, but it seems like being rewarded to do something we already like can make us feel like we’re being forced to do it. I think that’s why we feel like we would be happier not working, but don’t actually see that happening in reality. I explained all of that poorly, probably, but point being, this reminds me of a lot of stuff I’m studying and itches my brain in a good way. I enjoyed this video and just wanted to share some thoughts back :)
@Big0leBee 5 ай бұрын
Absolutely delicious audio in this vid. If you did audiobook narration my money would be in danger.
@MustBeM 5 ай бұрын
i had the opposite, the voice makes my skin crawl.
@anavidreader277 5 ай бұрын
Love the change in format for something a bit different - I see you’re making sure to hit all target audiences to get your point across haha! Look forward to what this year brings in videos from you :)
@hannahstephings4355 5 ай бұрын
What a tboughtful and thought-provoking video. As someone who is dyspraxic, I struggle with crafts but I did knit my own scarf last year, even though it was wonky I was so proud. I find a lot of solstice and calm in cooking and gardening and this video really encouraged me to empower myself keep making things with my own hands.
@anadistracted 5 ай бұрын
Thank you. This is lovely and worth relistening to.
@SadisticSenpai61 4 ай бұрын
I turned 30 about 6 years before you and... Yeah, that's also when I started getting into knitting, crocheting, and sewing. Although my interest in the latter was started by the fact that my body is not the typical shape that clothes are made for, so I was frustrated by nothing ever fitting right. Although I didn't actually get into my crafty habits until after I quit my job. Full time work just drained me too much - I never felt like I had enough time to do anything. Even when I had the time, I didn't have the energy. And that's a recipe for unhappiness. But I also hate making things for money. Or at least the impersonal "online store" kind of making things for money. Making things for ppl I know just makes me happy. I don't really like asking for money cuz that adds a layer of pressure to the project. IDK.
@jo_aspen 5 ай бұрын
I just finished the audiobook for "Unraveling" by Peggy Orenstein and your comment about shearing sheep made me think of it! It was honestly so good, and I was so invested in hearing her narrate her experience of learning how to do everything in the process of making a sweater herself (shearing the sheep, spinning the wool, dyeing it, etc). It was somehow educational and motivating and cozy at the same time and I recommend giving it a listen! Also your video was great Leena 😊
@thegreenworld6440 5 ай бұрын
Love this new video style for you, Leena!
@selenka26 5 ай бұрын
Thanks for the calming safety and support to learn how to make stuff (sometimes even to fight off depression). I started sewing after 7 years of lab work because I didn't feel satisfaction of creation. And the skill made me see the world and myself in a new more optimistic and hopeful perspective. Even if i dont practice it anymore as often as i would love to, it made so much more conscious of my own choices and options. So thanks for the support ❤
@sophiawhettingsteel3489 5 ай бұрын
I really enjoyed this format! It reminds me of some of Ariel Bissett's video. I like the montages combined with the voice over. It feels very calming and meditative even if you're talking about something serious.
@joyyboyy1 5 ай бұрын
Loved this tone of video! Cozy and hopeful
@dee_v3880 5 ай бұрын
Love these cosy vibes! 🥰
@brittanymcmcmc9730 5 ай бұрын
"Twisted Hope" is a phrase I'm gonna borrow from this video
@nathanchristensen716 4 ай бұрын
I really like refinishing furniture and tailoring thrift store clothes. Often the materials are cheaper in this form and most of the work is done for you but you get the satisfaction of knowing that revived “junk.” Good for the environment, your wallet, and probably the charity you bought from like Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity.
@kristinej.9599 5 ай бұрын
This was so enjoyable and I thoroughly agree with you. Thank you Gumption Club.
@MysticMe1234 5 ай бұрын
love this new vid format
@athinav2894 5 ай бұрын
i love this so much. and the editing style!!! :,) lovely!!!
@jennindeed5792 Ай бұрын
The bit about "a roof over our heads" made me *cackle*
@ruthfisher3210 5 ай бұрын
I love this style of slower thoughtful videos!!
@johannawurschlop4457 5 ай бұрын
this was lovely, thank the GC for financing but thank YOU for thinking it up and making it!
@Forthygreaterglory 4 ай бұрын
You should check out many of the hand-sewists and historical clothing videos to see how people in the past designed clothes. Gussets are hugely important for ease of wear but you rarely see them in ready to wear clothes. There is a wonderful book called The Lost Art of Dress by Linda Przybyszewski that details the history of fashion and how to get a more harmonized look to your clothing ensemble. I applaud your vision of figuring out how to help yourself and encourage others on their path. Thank you for sharing.
@r.darling4135 5 ай бұрын
thank you gumption club 🥰
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