Let's Move the Needle

An Activism Handbook for Artists, Crafters, Creatives, and Makers; Build Community and Make Change!

By: Shannon Downey

Narrated by: Shannon Downey

Create change in the world with this inspiring guide to social activism, from the artist and craftivist behind Badass Cross Stitch.

Craftivism, or the space where art and activism meet, is a powerful, ever-evolving social justice movement that continues to grow and diversify as more voices and mediums take part in it. In Let's Move the Needle, Shannon Downey, an outspoken voice in the craftivist movement for over a decade, provides a roadmap and accessible toolkit for burgeoning art activists.

Filled with self-reflective activities, exercises, prompts, and stories, Let's Move the Needle educates and empowers creatives to center their art around collective action in service of political, social or community issues they are most passionate about; affirming that everyone can be a changemaker and that change-making can be generative, enjoyable, and a bit sassy!

Critic reviews

An exquisite celebration of creativity, curiosity, tenacity, and delight. This book will give you the permission, agency, and excitement to start making positive change.—Greta Johnsen, host of Nerdette podcast

Let’s Move the Needle is much more than a craft book ... Shannon’s warmth and wit shine through as she challenges you to step out of your comfort zone and start crafting for the greater good.—Stephanie Rohr, author of Feminist Cross-Stitch

Finally, an exploration of the lightning-fast mind that is Shannon Downey ... This powerful book offers a deep understanding of craftivism and guides you to take authentic actions based on your own values.—Julie Jackson, creator of Subversive Cross Stitch

Let’s Move the Needle is full of heart, humor and a major dose of how-to that inspires social change and invites us to help build a more inclusive, just, and equitable world.—Mary Morten, President, Morten Group, LLC

This book allows you to step more deeply into your soul and find matters of justice that you will be willing to fight forever for truth and equity to prevail. Craft is the medium and a gloriously abundant and empathic life well-lived is the reward.—Elena Quintana, Ph.D., justice activist

Shannon Downey shows that we can move that needle together, in despair, outrage, boredom, and in a joyful imagination of the world as it should be. —Steve Hosik Moon, Former Director of Organizing at Asian Americans Advancing Justice

This stimulating, thoughtfully-organized guide to craftivism will appeal both to activist-minded creatives and noncrafters looking for practical steps to help turn their intentions into action.—Library Journal, starred review

This book makes true change feel within reach!

I just finished listening to Let’s Move the Needle, and I loved it! Shannon Downey reads the audiobook herself, which adds such a personal, authentic touch. I found it inspiring, empowering, and genuinely fun to listen to. The book makes change feel within reach and gives anyone who’s wanted to help but didn’t know where to start a clear path forward. Whether you’re looking to get more involved or simply curious, this is a must-read. Share it with your friends, read it in your civics classes, and let it motivate you to take action. Highly recommend!

Actionable and inspiring

This book is both very functional and inspirational. So many specific and useful ideas and tips as well as a motivating point of view. Well read and easy to listen to.

Welcoming, practical guide for art and activism

Let’s Move the Needle is a BRILLIANT handbook for learning to take small steps to create change in the world that can ripple out into much larger waves. Learning to use your own voice – to advocate for the issues you care about – with ART – feels really daunting for this human who hasn’t identified as an artist. What Shannon adds to the conversation to make it safe is a deep exploration of OURSELVES. As an AFAB human, we get so enculturated to be of service and to help others before ourselves…sitting down to identify the things I personally care about, and what I think about them is such a different place to start than I expected. Shannon doesn’t ask you to get out and protest as step one (You CAN, if that’s what amps you up!) Let’s Move the Needle asks us start with ourselves. Whoa. There’s journal prompts and creativity openers that are helping me to look inside first, before I peek out of my hermit’s cave to share a thought, a message, a piece of art with the world.
Shannon gives you steps for everything!

Honestly, this book is a great handbook for anything that needs some deep thought and strategy before acting. How to engage in conflict in a supportive way – there’s a plan for that. How to get out of your perfectionist expectations about art – let’s #makedontbreak and use a sense of play and experimentation to get comfortable with being a voice for change. What skills do you have / need? Who do you know? Shannon offers sharp, snappy guidance to alleviate all our internalized objections that stop us from getting out into the world and putting our voice into the mix to make this earth a better place for all its inhabitants.

The examples of Craftivism offered in the book show how it is personal care and commitment to an issue that transform the art into change, connecting one person’s heart and voice to another. And the impact isn’t in some capitalist sense of “having the best art.” It’s in that alchemical ZING that connects us to each other and makes us care, encourages us to act. With Let’s Move the Needle, I think we can all do that.

Helpful info, but hard to parse in audio

Shannon shares a lot of great info and does a fine job narrating, but the structure of the book was hard to follow without the visual layout. I ended up buying a paperback copy at the end of chapter 1.