FSP but Deeper

I missed the mark with my post about the FSP, but it took a bike ride along the river (to the dentist, but whatever) to figure out what was wrong. I got all the defensive complaining out, which isn't very helpful, and didn't keep going to strike those other heart strings that get more to the reality of the world we are living in.

Saturday Market is a throwback to the hippie days in many ways, and people like me want us to stay close to our roots for some good reasons. Like I said, we see ourselves over across the street: disillusioned with the dominant paradigm, determined to have a more authentic life, wanting to make it with our own efforts and not have to be under anyone's thumb. It was a hell of a lot easier in the 1970's to carry those feelings into right livelihood, a hell of a lot cheaper, and there were more of us with a clearer ethic to create the space for it.

Now we've taken up the space with decades of effort and we have made our compromises. We wanted to be close to the land so we bought when you could get property for cheap and we worked on it ourselves when the permit requirements and building codes were more forgiving. We worked on our cars because you could, and we embraced organic agriculture because it seemed like the obvious improvement. We were way more innocent than you get to be now, and indeed some of the political struggles now are exactly what we went through. It pains me greatly to know that my son's friends and other Bernie supporters are probably going to have to go through the same disbelief and cynical grief when the political machine makes its moves. We can hope, for change, but those who see deeply can see that improvements are glacial and hard won and the revolution gets co-opted so it can be televised and you still are left with making your own way in this world.

And now it's uglier and the peace and love generation is tired and mostly has bought into comfort. We think we haven't but there's a big difference between me in my 600-sq-ft house and someone in a tent by the river. I have safety and don't get harassed, and I have community that is sort of respected. People new to town might not realize that Saturday Market has had to fight hard for the respect and success we enjoy today and it isn't necessarily widespread. There are plans afoot that might drive us right off where we stand and we might not be able to do a thing about us. We hope not, and we're not without resources, so we stand a good chance of keeping what we have created, but there's never any guarantee.

So what I didn't get to is why someone like me, a radical cynical iconoclast, would be so loyal and defensive about my organization. It isn't just habit. For one thing, we are, a lot of us, people who would not fit into the establishment with a shoehorn, nor would we be willing to fit in. I don't speak for everyone, and my habit of saying "we" is probably grating to many ears in the community of artists. Some of us are not hippies and never were and find many of our pot references and silliness completely irritating. We draw from all of the area, people outside Eugene and people outside the counter-culture. We are now fairly solidly the culture. We buy all those things listed in the last post and we follow all of those rules because we decided we were going to include people who didn't necessarily share our politics and we certainly wanted to attract customers who were from all walks of life, from all over the world. We collectively despair and embrace our rainbows and our reputation and there is not a ton of agreement about anything, really, when it comes to the Market. Come to any of our meetings and see that we gather and do our best to create a balance that will sustain us, and it is certainly not perfect.

We are a community that is not competitive. It's hard to imagine, but when you set up next to someone who makes the same thing you do, you are going to talk shop and admire each other's work, most likely. You will meet some of the most incredible masters of their art and you will meet people who are just making their first crafts and have no idea what they want to do with their lives. We have a full range of artists from beginning to end. If more screenprinters join and we become the go-to place for t-shirts, that makes me happy. If we have so many jewelers that each one is challenged to make work like no one else is making, bravo! The way we all work together to raise the artistry level of the Market is constantly inspiring.

We don't jury. When you come in with your items for screening, the committee members want to know if you make them, if you make something that is safe and durable so the buyer will get good value, and if you take the raw materials and create something handmade. We don't care if it is ugly or won't sell or shows your lack of skill or your mastery...if you make it, it works for Standards. That is not to say that the guidelines haven't been refined over the years. Some of them might seem picky, but the members of the committee will be happy to explain the purposes of those things and give you tips on how you might be able to modify or add to your product to meet the guidelines. It is almost always a very supportive process. We all want to welcome new artists, especially young ones, and although it seems intimidating in concept, the process is quite welcoming. Sit through the orientation and you will find out so many things about the community and how you can be part of it...it is inclusive and open.

We prioritize member and customer services. The info booth will handle credit cards for you, will give your info to people when you are not there if you like, and will help people find your booth with even the most vague of descriptions. Our staff tries hard to get to know each vendor and what they need and desire, as far as that can go. If you have disabilities or money issues you can be accommodated. It is the least corporate business in town when it comes to how you will be treated as a member. Understanding the membership structure can take awhile and you might think it is complicated, but we work by consensus still, and make decisions by getting as many stakeholders as possible around the table and listening to them all until a good decision can be made. It isn't perfect, of course, and meetings sometimes run long and emotions run high. When it is working well, it's a very beautiful process and you could be an important part of it.

We're not all about the money. We are so not all about the money. Our nonprofit status means we try to end up even at the end of the year...we pay federal taxes. We have savings, though not enough to survive a super wet and cold year, or a real disaster. We try to pay a decent wage. Our recent fee increase was to comply with the federal and state guidelines for the minimum wage and overtime reform. You can believe that raising the fees was one of the hardest processes we went through in years. That $10 plus 10% was practically sacred, but we want our employees to like working with us, to feel valued, and to be able to get what they need. We pay for health insurance. We even have a crisis-relief fund, the Kareng Fund, started and maintained by members to help other artists. It recently broadened its scope to include all self-employed, low-income artists in Oregon (suffering a career-threatening crisis.) We really care about people, our people, the people who come to us, and the people in our town. We actually care a lot about the people across the street.

I didn't make that point at all, and I apologize. I stopped short of saying that when I see people trying to express themselves over there, I want them to know what I know and have what I have: the opportunity to thrive. I have found that opportunity in the Saturday Market. It has totally worked for me, and I plan to keep it working for me for the rest of my life. This is a profound gift that sometimes I think I do not deserve, something of inestimable value. My Mom even said it: "I'm just glad you found Eugene." Subtext being that I would not be me the way I am in any other place, and that is because of my counter-culture, because of the Saturday Market. I want that for everyone who wants it.

So my defensive response was sadly lacking and although I said some things that might have needed to be said, I did not extend the warm invitation to those who don't know about us as we really are to come across the street and join us. We deliver the customers and we support you while you find your niche. We are open to you and that is one of our most important ethics. We get it that we are not for everyone, but if you are able to try us out, we want you to do it. We're not the bad guys. We are trying to make it just like you are.

Let's do it together. Those drums beat for everyone.