Consumer culture in the developed world, its impact on the Earth’s environment, and the correlation it has with individual mental health of its inhabitants has been a personal concern of mine throughout the last few years. This concern has influenced me to create art to be placed on certain items that we use every day but in many instances are encouraged to dispose of frequently. These designs and products are intended to educate about the effects of overconsumption and inspire people to be mindful about the items that they bring into their lives, how they care for them, and how they ultimately dispose of these items.

These designs and products are geared towards encouraging people to explore sustainable alternatives as well as take extra care to keep personal belongings such as clothes in good condition. This disposable economy is pushed in large part by the manufacturers of both single use and everyday consumer products who are not in any way incentivized to make their products last beyond their one and only use or their standard warranty period. If people could be more mindful about the environmental effects that flow from the acquisition, use, care, and disposal of these products, they may change their consumption patterns as well which could have an overall positive effect on the Earth’s physical health as well as their mental health. In fact, if more people purchased products that were more sustainable in nature, this would in turn influence the market to produce more of these types of products.

This project is grounded in the desire to share my experiences and gained knowledge with people who use these products through designs that are meant to be informative and placed on quality made and environmentally friendly every day products that are produced with concern for their social and environmental effects. These products, with the right care and attention, could last a very long time. Given that these products are exclusively fabric, the silk screen process was a natural fit to create this suite of products that encourages the consumer to avoid the traps of blind overconsumption. The objective of this project is not to discourage or deprive anyone from purchasing or acquiring any one item especially if they truly need that product. Instead, the goal of the project is to share the positive impacts that conscious consumerism can have on the Earth’s environment as well as the mental wellbeing of the individual.

Plenti is a brand designed to call attention to the largely negative environmental and social impacts of the disposable economy that we find ourselves in. Created by a free market system, available natural resources, and continuous technological improvements in manufacturing, the consumer culture in the developed world now promotes mindless consumption by making the consumer believe a perfectly good product needs to be replaced far before it truly does. This vicious cycle in last 50 years alone has produced unprecedented increases in pollution, overconsumption of natural resources, and the percentage of the population suffering from anxiety and depression. The aim of Plenti is start a conversation around the link between the increase in mindless consumerism and the corresponding decrease in our mental health.

Plenti promotes the encouragement of mindful practices when choosing products over the current culture of conspicuous consumerism. Practicing mindfulness is the act of accepting and reflecting upon one’s internal and external states in the present moment. This reflective process requires that individuals are more patient and deliberate with themselves in considering their choices. By actively practicing mindfulness individuals will become better equipped to avoid subconscious and destructive habits such as overconsumption or negative self-talk.

Dedicated to creating a conversation specifically in regard to purchasing, using, caring for, and disposing of everyday items, Plenti intends to clear minds and clear climates.

The physical presentation of these designs and products is based on the desire to provide a personal shopping experience for the viewer of the work. They are placed front facing on hangers on homemade clothes racks to entice the viewer to approach. The presentation encourages the viewer to touch and feel the products and view the messages expressed by the designs. Again, the goal is to get the potential consumer of these products to think about the quality, fit, longevity, message, and design of the products so that they can make a mindful and intentional decision as to whether they want to bring it into their lives. If they are not going to use it and take care of it, they are encouraged to put it back on rack for someone who will do those things. Finally, it should be noted that following the theme of recycling and up-cycling of products, the racks on which the products are displayed are all made from reclaimed wood that was slated for destruction. These racks can be reused as clothes or coat racks and even be adapted for alternative use as plant hangers. In the near future they will be used by my sister for a garage sale and a place to hang fabrics that I use for various sewing projects.