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IN A WORLD THAT SEAMS TO
MOVE FASTER ALL THE TIME,
THERE'S A PLACE WHERE LIFE
MOVES AT A REFRESHINGLY
SLOWER PACE.
IN THE FORESTED HILLS
NEAR SANTA, IDAHO, MELODY
ECKROTH AND JIM CROFT
SPEND THEIR TIME MAKING A
HOME - AND MAKING MANY OF
THE THINGS IN THAT HOME.
ECLECTICALLY, I'VE
COLLECTED ALL THESE
DIFFERENT SKILLS THAT ARE
NECESSARY TO LIVE THE LIFE
I LIVE.
IN A LOT OF THINGS, IF YOU
WANT SOMETHING GOOD YOU'VE
GOT TO MAKE IT YOURSELF.
MELODY AND JIM USED TO
LIVE IN FRIEND, OREGON.
IN 1977 THEY DECIDED TO
MOVE TO FOREST LAND IN
IDAHO.
SO WE PACKED EVERYTHING
UP IN THE LATE SUMMER AND
BROUGHT OUR TEEPEE, OUR
ONE YEAR OLD CHILD AND
MOVED ALL OF THAT
IN A 1937 TRUCK.
IT LOOKED LIKE THE
BEVERLY HILLBILLIES.
WE LANDED HERE LABOR DAY
AND SET EVERYTHING UP, OUR
TEEPEE.
AND IT WAS A HARSH WINTER.
WE STAYED UNDER THE
COVERS QUITE A BIT.
I LOVE THE AREA.
IDAHO, IT'S NOT
ALL DONE AND SAID.
PEOPLE ARE VERY
RESOURCEFUL.
THEY LIVE OUTSIDE YOUR
MAJOR URBAN CENTERS.
AND, SO THERE'S A NICE
COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE.
THAT IS A BIG FACTOR,
TOO OF WHY WE'RE HERE.
AFTER SPENDING A WINTER IN
THEIR TEEPEE, THE COUPLE
BUILT THEIR HOUSE
FROM THE GROUND UP.
SINCE THEN, THEY'VE
BEEN USING A VARIETY OF
MATERIALS TO MAKE ART,
TOOLS, CLOTHING AND MORE.
OFTEN, WHEN THEY NEED
SOMETHING THEY JUST MAKE
IT.
ARTISTICALLY, JIM IS A
BOOK BINDER; USING OLD
WORLD METHODS TO HAND
MAKE WOOD COVER BOOKS.
THAT MEANS GROW FLAX, MAKE
YOUR OWN PAPER, GO GET
YOUR WOOD FOR THE COVERS,
MAKE YOUR OWN LEATHER,
MAKE YOUR OWN
BRASS CLASPS.
THESE ARE THE COMPONENTS
OF A GOTHIC BOOK.
AND AS FAR AS I KNOW,
THERE'S NO ONE ELSE IN THE
WORLD THAT'S DOING
IT TO THAT DEGREE.
IF THERE IS, I'D REALLY
LIKE TO MEET THEM.
JIM ALSO USES RECYCLED
MATERIALS, SUCH AS OLD
WEATHER-BLEACHED FIRE
HOSES WHICH GO INTO MAKING
PAPER, AND BRASS HARDWARE
FOR MAKING CLASPS.
JIM SELLS HIS BOOKS
FOR UP TO $15,000 EACH.
I HAVEN'T REALLY MADE A
LIVING AT THAT, LET'S SAY.
BUT I'M GETTING CLOSER.
AND MY PRODUCT IS GETTING
CLOSER TO BEING THE IDEAL
OF MAKING THE WHOLE BOOK
FROM RAW MATERIALS.
AND THIS IS HISTORIC
MATERIALS AND HISTORIC
TECHNIQUES.
IT'S NOT A LOT OF
INVENTION, IT'S MORE
REDISCOVERY
THAN INVENTION.
JIM ALSO MAKES SOME OF THE
TOOLS THAT ARE USED IN
BOOK BINDING.
ALONG WITH EVERYTHING
ELSE, THESE TWO MAKE
BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TOGETHER.
MELODY'S CREATIVITY
INCLUDES FABRIC WORK,
BASKETS AND MORE, USING
MATERIALS AT HAND.
I USE TREE ROOTS THAT I'VE
GARNERED FROM WALKING IN
THE WOODS AND FINDING
OVERBLOWN TREES.
I SPLIT THE ROOTS.
I USE CAT TALES,
SEDGES, WILLOWS.
AND WILLOW IS
A HUGE FAMILY.
THERE'S 400 PLUS SPECIES
IN THE WILLOW FAMILY.
THAT GIVES YOU QUITE A
RANGE OF COLOR AND AROMA.
THEY SMELL WONDERFUL, AND
HEIGHT THAT THEY LIKE TO
GROW TO.
IT GIVES YOU A
LOT OF VARIETY.
IT LOOKS LIKE CHAOS WHEN
IT BEGINS AND THEN YOU
CREATE ORDER,
CHAOS INTO ORDER.
MELODY AND JIM
ARE A RESOURCEFUL,
SELF-SUFFICIENT IDAHO
COUPLE WHO BRING CHAOS
INTO ORDER BY NURTURING
THEIR CREATIVE SIDE.
WHENEVER POSSIBLE, WHEN
THEY NEED SOMETHING, THEY
JUST MAKE IT.
WE'VE BEEN CULTIVATED TO
NOT THINK ABOUT MAKING IT.
IT'S EASIER TO GO BUY IT.
BUT IT UNDERMINES OUR
ABILITY TO MAKE THINGS.
AND SCIENTISTS HAVE SAID
THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT
BRAIN WAVE FREQUENCIES
WHEN WE CREATE, WE HAVE A
SENSE OF LOSS OF TIME, AND
THE ENDORPHINS ARE RUNNING
WILD.
SO IT'S ALL THIS FEEDBACK
TO US, AS HUMANS TO
CREATE, TO MAKE,
TO USE OUR HANDS.
EVERYTHING TAKES ON A
SPECIAL QUALITY IF YOU
MAKE IT YOURSELF.
AND YOU UNDERSTAND
HISTORIC WAYS.
AND YOU GET EXACTLY WHAT
YOU WANT IF YOU KEEP
TRYING.
.. I'VE HAD A LOT MORE
FAILURES THAN I HAVE
SUCCESSES, MOSTLY DUE
TO PROCRASTINATION.