JEFF KUBASAK | MANUAL FOR CHANGE ARTIST SERIES

February 02,2021

BIO

Jeff Kubasak grew up in “The Valley” of Los Angeles, and his creative push comes from the spark that skateboarding has ignited over the last 25 years. From woodworking to illustration to embroidery, his approach to design doesn’t have a single lane, so he has been consistently learning to embrace the mistakes of the variety of media that he never seems to stop adding to. Skateboarding is what taught Jeff that there is no reason to quit, so it is easy to understand that he is managing his time between being innovative and stubborn. He is currently trying to push the boundaries of chainstitch and chenille embroidery, so keep an eye out for some wild pieces coming out of his vintage Singer machine.

Instagram - @commongenus

INSPIRATION

No change can be made in the world without an exchange of resources and we don’t all have access to the same material goods to offer or receive, so it’s easy to feel that we are doing enough regardless of the value of the charity we put forth. However there is something that we all can offer each other that will create a bridge for all. That thing is empathy, and a little goes a long way.

Empathy has nothing to do with sympathy or pity, it takes effort to deny our egos prime position when we are listening to people. The cliche “walk a mile in their shoes” doesn’t require a physical cost, but moreover an emotional pause that turns off our need to take up a role in someone’s story. Giving others emotional real estate to speak their mind will give any size of community the added benefit of overall inclusion.

My hope is that once we start to push forward from tolerance to inclusion, we can establish new societal norms and, eventually, political representation that takes all walks of life into consideration. We are always going to be a work in progress, so as individuals it would move the process of progress by letting ourselves be incomplete and open to change. Developing empathy is only the beginning of the work we need to do, but it’s the hardest first step, no matter who you are.