Stamps

In conversations with artisans from the Yucatán Peninsula, several challenges have been identified that limit their growth and recognition. These include a lack of visibility and promotional strategies, as well as a lack of credit for their creations, which affects their income and valuation. There are also issues of unequal quality and commitment within cooperatives, plagiarism by other artisans, dependency on intermediaries, and a lack of knowledge of modern marketing strategies, which limits their reach and communication with the final consumer.

During the initial interviews with the artisans, it was noted that many did not feel comfortable sharing their needs and experiences. To overcome this barrier, we developed “fictional stories” featuring little henequen dolls that reflected the artisans' experiences. This created a more accessible environment, allowing for a deeper and more genuine dialogue, revealing the true stories, motivations, and needs of each artisan.

The Story

Angelita, Lucy, and Victoria gather every morning to prepare orders, although on rainy days they can't paint the henequen and instead look for new ways to create with the sewing technique they learned 20 years ago. Angelita, the most experienced, is concerned about quality and decided to use a stone shaped like an angel as a seal to identify her pieces. Lucy enjoys walking to the workshop and noting down the sounds and colors of her community in a notebook. For Victoria, working is an opportunity to chat and laugh with her companions, reminiscing about their childhood.

After sharing this story with the artisans, a conversation was initiated in which, in addition to their life stories, the following insights were obtained:

It is very important for them to have a system that allows them to maintain and improve the quality of their work, as achieving this will enable them to have more sales and, consequently, higher incomes.
They enjoy working collectively because it allows them to gather with other women to chat, share experiences or problems. Moreover, by dedicating themselves to crafts, they are less committed to working in the fields, which is a much more strenuous task, especially in this region with such high temperatures.
They are excited to think that the final consumer recognizes the person who created those products.
They would like to see the places where the pieces they have made end up.

Based on the information obtained, we have proposed a distinctive seal to identify the products made by the artisans. This seal will act as a "symbol of identity," guaranteeing the quality of each creation. In the case of cooperatives, its use will be approved by the artisans themselves once they have reached the required quality standards. Additionally, the seal will provide transparency about the origin, creator, and date of production, facilitating a direct connection between the artisans and the final consumer, thus enhancing the transparency and value of their products.

Each seal will include a personal symbol chosen by the artisan, based on a story or element that represents them. It will also offer the option to include their name, if they feel comfortable writing it, and the date of creation of the product, which will serve as evidence of creation in cases of plagiarism. Additionally, the seal will feature a "call to action" that will allow final customers to share photos and messages about their experience with the product, fostering direct communication with the artisans.

WATERMELON¶

Community: Xocchel

I love going to the milpa. I plant watermelon, melon, cucumber, squash... I plant everything there. I enjoy going when the watermelons are ready. "Let's go pick them!" my husband says. It's easy to pick them, but carrying them is heavy.

DAISY¶

Community: Xocchel

My mom taught me when we were little because we weren't allowed to play at all. They put us to wash clothes, doing chores, braiding and everything... there was no rest. The daisy was what I liked making the most.

CORN PLANT¶

Community: Granada

I worked a lot in the fields, planting, harvesting, clearing... since I was 10 years old. Nowadays, I don't go to the fields anymore. If they say, "Let's go harvest," I say no, I'm tired of it because I've been doing it since I was a little girl. I liked doing it, but now I don't want to anymore.

HENEQUÉN WEAVE¶

Community: Granada

I'm 70 years old now. I learned to weave when I was 50, but I never doubted I could learn because I like to work. Even though my husband didn't want me to because he doesn't like me going out, he doesn't say anything anymore, and now I'm out there exploring Mérida and taking my production along.

ESPELÓN¶

Community: Santa Rosa

When we were growing up, it wasn't like now with meat and everything available. At home, we had the espelón* plant, and that's what they gave us. We grew up on that.