I volunteer to make earrings for a nonprofit organization that helps women who have been in North Carolina state prisons reenter society. Arise provides housing and full days of basic computer training and life skills to help them not return to prison. The US has 1% of its population in prison, far more than any nation in the world, and at least 80% is drug use related, not selling, and 50% have mental illnesses. I am on SSI for severe autoimmune illnesses that keep me in solitary confinement, 11 years now in this bed. I can't afford much but earrings are the only art my illnesses allow because I am not exposed to chemicals and don't have to be upright for long. I need to make earrings for my own mental health. It's not the housing, childcare, PTSD from prison therapy and especially living wage jobs that these women (who won't get jobs because they have to check the box saying they committed a felony) need. I thought it was a frivolous offering, but earrings, especially one of a kind artistic earrings, mean A LOT to women who have been in the same clothes everyday, answer to a number not name, and are not allowed to express an identity. Prisons are so underfunded and I do volunteer work for 300 of them in getting vendors, writing newsletter, finding thousands of used book donations so they may learn something, including better reading skills, it's visually "underwhelming" and as a NeuroDivergent artist affected by my environment, it would be torture for my Sensory Processing to live just with that. Turns out that a stranger making beautiful earrings in different styles and colors IS a massive boost in morale for these women who are incredibly afraid and have everything stacked against them. It's one of the first choices they make in years: which pair is the one that THEY want. The earrings say that society cares and wants them to succeed. They know that they have been welcomed. They know someone cares.
Being able to buy beautiful well made biodegradable beads on sale is why I can get my mental health needs met with art and positively still being involved with making the world a better place. I used to be a painter and mixed media artist. Beads and findings matter. These are, like every bead I have bought here, are stunning. The quality is fantastic. Etsy has become so annoying with how difficult it is to just shop with constant attempts to divert me from looking at what I chose and instead being pressured to buy beads not within my search, it takes too long and is too stressful for my brain fatigue in a flare. I am very happy with this website. I think that feedback is important. It's a lot easier for the 50% of Americans who live with a chronic illness. I am really grateful that the owner made such a clean crisp online shop. Like the beads, it stands out.
