Get Up and Go

Lessons in Freedom and the Power to Produce / 19

My older brother spent the majority of his adult life touring and making music for people; meeting young people and trying to reach them with his writing and his music. I learned from him that DIY ethics respond to something within us that wants to create and make a difference, that wants to be excellent and wants to share that excellence with anyone who is interested, and that refuses to compromise its own standards. The freedom to hold on to what makes us unique, what sets us apart from others, is essential if you really want to make something important happen. In this view, your desire to create something, and your reasons for that desire, are your most important asset. In truth, if you do not “do it yourself,” then it likely CANNOT be done. Most importantly, DIY ethics ignore the disapproval of the mainstream. Being able to successfully create a new environment requires focus and self-confidence, and is ultimately not concerned at all with size, publicity, or acknowl- edgment. These ideas refocus communities to be concerned with those around them, to take pride in the uniqueness and freedom of DIY enterprises. I can look back and see the effect that my music and my work have had on our small network of communities, and that fuels me to continue on.