My Values in Art

I had a conversation as we were approaching Halloween in 2024. It’s one I have thought about regularly, especially when writing about resellers and wholesalers attending markets.

At a market, I was approached by a stallholder that I have known since the beginning of my own attendance. She said she had an idea for me, and I was curious about what she had to say.

“Halloween is coming up and you don’t have anything new on your table yet. You see [STALLHOLDER NAME] over there? She sells [ITEM]. You can buy them from her for $5 each, and sell them as your own for $10, since you haven’t made anything new recently.”

It's safe to say: I was flabbergasted.

This was the first and – so far – only time that someone has ever ASKED me to be the equivalent of a reseller. The absurdity of her question – and the casualness in which she brought it up – almost left me scrambling to collect my thoughts.

I told her we took pride in making our own things, and I really wasn’t interested in buying from another stallholder to palm off as my own products.

Her response was simple:

“Why not? Everyone else does it, and it’s an easy way to make money.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and looking back on the conversation, I still can’t. She, to my knowledge, makes her own crafts. As far as she has ever let on, she doesn’t buy any of her products in – she makes them all – so I was stunned to hear her actively promoting dishonesty and reselling within the market world we shared.

My response to her suggestion was as true as I could ever say.

“I value morals over money.”

She seemed dissatisfied by my response, and indicated that she thought I was foolish for not taking in her brilliant suggestion. I was eager to end the conversation which left a sense of disappointment and disgust behind.

How can one advocate for a system that actively hurts their passion?

The shop update I released just a month after this conversation happened.

Every conversation I have had with her since, it has me wondering if she makes any of her own products at all, because that trust and respect has certainly dwindled. It baffles me how anyone, let alone a creator, support something so opposite to their (alleged) livelihood.

Since that conversation, it has absolutely ignited a flame within my crafting soul. It has inspired many blog posts relating to resellers of Temu and Shein, and helped narrow down which stallholders I will even give the time of day when browsing through a market as a customer – and a stallholder.

I realised I have values in art that cannot be ignored or broken down to suit someone else’s needs – even if they are a customer.

As a creator, I cannot justify buying someone else’s work to claim as my own. There is no exception, there are no if’s or buts – if we have not made it, you will not find a claim to it on our website or social media pages.

Similarly, if there are patterns or ideas that we do not feel we have the time or capacity for, we will not take the project on. Just recently, one commission lead to another person asking if we could knit a pair of socks for them.

Though we do know how to knit, we have never made a pair of socks before, and we do not want our first attempt – which may come to be a bit of a mess when it comes to turning the heel – to received by a customer. Instead, we passed the commission off to another crafty friend and sock wizard, Jules’ Joules, would be able to satisfy the customer in a much more timely and professional manner!

Transphobia isn't tolerated here.

Another value that comes to mind is one that is certainly controversial, and that is a certain wizarding world. You won’t find any products relating to that particular author, or other known problematic works from other authors either.

We cannot with good conscience support, normalise and further publicise such a problematic series for our own financial gain. So, when any customer comes seeking out talking hats and wizard scarves, we tell them outright that we cannot help them.

These are my values in art, and they are the sacrifices we make. It may cost us sales, customers or even friendships – but I feel that they are worth abandoning if those boundaries are that consequential.

I hold my morals to my heart, and the values I have listed above guide me in all of my crafting adventures. I cannot steal another creator’s work or tear down a vulnerable community to build my own fortune.

And if what the anonymous stallholder said at the beginning of this blog resonates with you: maybe you should consider working in retail if you would rather sell other people’s work instead of your own.

As this blog post comes to a close, I invite you to reflect on your own values when it comes to art. What morals help you navigate your passions? Have you had to decline a commission because it went against something you stood for or you felt you were at capacity for at the time? Have you ever been asked to be a reseller? Or am I the only one being given such absurd suggestions? I would love to hear your own thoughts and experiences!

Kimberley (they/them)

Accessories by Antoinette