Crafting a Better World is an interesting monograph by Diana Weymar on the fertile intersection between activism and creativity. Released 10th Sept 2024 by HarperCollins on their William Morrow Harvest imprint, it's 184 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
The book includes artist profiles for a number of active creators across multiple disciplines: acting, writing, drawing, photography, fashion, cooking, music, fibre arts, and others, as well as hybrid/cross disciplinary expression. The profiles are interesting and inspiring, and in a few cases, moving and touching. The author has curated the subjects well, and most readers will probably benefit from reading all of it, not just the specific ones they recognize or are interested in. The profiles include interviews between the author/curator and the subjects, as well as a number (circa 50%) of small projects for reader inspiration and use. They range from embroidery, curating a small art installation, to making vulva shaped chocolates.
The book is unapologetically activist and passionate. The "vibe" tends toward inclusivity, positivity, productive anger, and deeply fed up feminine energy (as anyone who has been awake during any of the last 8 years can surely understand).
The author/publisher have also included an abbreviated links and resources list for further exploration and reading.
Four stars. It would be perfectly suited to public library acquisition, home use, gift giving to activist minded crafty folks, and artist collective studios.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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