April 11, 2025

Civics

"If we want our world to be a more beautiful, fair and kind place, then, shouldn't our activism be more beautiful, fair and kind?"

Sarah Corbett was born into an activist family. She began campaigning at a young age and later worked for organizations such as Oxfam GB. But in her mid-20s she experienced a crisis moment—hiding in a festival toilet to avoid talking with people about climate justice. She felt increasingly drained by the confrontational, fast-paced nature of conventional campaigning, which often prioritized quick results over thoughtful engagement.

Around this time she also discovered the calming, meditative qualities of cross-stitching. It helped relieve her stress and sparked the idea of combining craft with activism. So she left her job to explore craftivism—a concept coined by Betsy Greer—and developed her own "Gentle Protest" approach. This method emphasizes slow, reflective activism rooted in empathy and contemplation. Encouraged by positive feedback from people who connected with her vision, Corbett founded the Craftivist Collective, an initiative that uses creative, non-confrontational methods to engage people in activism—especially those new to it or hesitant about traditional protest.

WEBSITE: Craftivist Collective

RELATED TED TALK: Sarah Corbett: Activism Needs Introverts

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