Leave It Better Than You Found It

During my end-of-the-year break, I spent a lot of time thinking about my place in the world. With all the major news that seems to break every day, it can seem very overwhelming. I mean, what can one person do to make a difference in this maelstrom of constant chaos? But then, I’m reminded of Gandhi, who said, “If you want to change the world, start with yourself.”

There’s a lot of truth in that, and I take comfort in it. You are part of the world, so if you change yourself, you will have changed the world. If you can be an example, it’ll have a ripple effect that will change others. So, I set out to figure out what I could do differently and how I could make the world a better place.

A Lifelong Passion Rekindled…

I’ve been tinkering with the idea of starting a print-on-demand product business for a while. I’ve always liked making custom t-shirts. Back in my band days, I used to print out iron-ons and make one-off unique shirts for each hometown show we played. Later, when I ran Still Not Dead, I used to make custom shirts for big concerts and sell them from our merch table. So, earlier this year, I was helping a client with a Print-On-Demand project and became fascinated with it. But for most of the year, it continued to be a research project, something I could tinker with in my spare time. After the election, I was looking for a way to make a difference, and it occurred to me that I could use my talent for the greater good. That’s when I decided to expand 217 Press.

217 Press & its Evolution

As some of you may have noticed, I started publishing my books under 217 Press, starting with “The Firefly Collective.” It was a minor thing, and at the time, I never mentioned it because I wasn’t sure how I was going to proceed with it. At the time, I was merely using it to help legitimize my author career. But this past November, I realized it could be so much more. So, I set about creating my first Print-On-Demand product business. I decided to use 217 Press to create shirts and other products with themes of science, motivational/inspirational, human rights, and, yes, some funny shirts as well. I also decided that a portion of the proceeds from these shirts would go to charities. It was a win/win. I could create fun shirts, and they could help great causes. In addition, I decided to also offer custom shirt creation for organizations through my design company, SND Designs. That way, charities could use the shirts to spread info about their cause or use them for fundraising. It is my way of giving back and trying to make a difference in the world. Or, as a wise man once said, “Leave it better than you found it.”

PS—For those of you who are like, “Aren’t you a writer?” The answer is yes. But I’m not the best multitasker, so I had to get 217 Press launched first. Soon, we will return to our regular content, which may already be in progress.
If you’re interested, check out 217 Press at https://217press.etsy.com.

– Ryan