About
Me, wearing a pin I made from a zipper
Coco-Chiacchieri Upcycling is a hobby that I’m very passionate about, but don’t ever seem to have enough time to dedicate to. My name is Cara Lisa Berg Powers (www.caralisapowers.com) and I like to do stuff. Lots of stuff. A lot of it is based in using media as a youth development and social change tool. I’m also developing some ideas about how we can use philanthropy to reshape ideas of sustainability and success in the new (now 10 year old) Millenium.
Needless to say I read a lot of non-fiction… So it is nice to be able to use my hands for something besides typing or turning pages once in a while. Turns out, I can’t paint or draw, but I am pretty hands with scissors. I started upcycling clothes and accessories out of convenience, frugality and laziness. I was terrified of sewing machines (broke my mom’s like 3 times as a youngster), and intimidated by more extensive jewelry making. So I messed with things that already existed to toggle them to fit my needs. I like to think of myself as a conceptual artist, and upcycling turns out to be a great canvass.
It also falls in line with my values as a progressive who tries her best to live relatively sustainably. Not only is it more affordable, but it’s better for the planet and other people to make as much of my wardrobe out of stuff that already exists. I hope that you can find a little bit of treasure and some inspiration here too.
