Why To Make Things
A collection for Paul Kirwin based on this prompt: “I’m a retired custom woodworker. I find community in the writings of others that have found satisfaction and comfort and value in the crafting of things. I’m not looking for ‘How-To Make Things’ books but more like ‘Why To Make Things’ books”
The desire to create for its own sake is what it means to be human.
Extending the metaphor of carpentry, it’s first necessary to be able to saw wood neatly and to drive nails. Later you can bevel the edges or add elegant finials, if that’s your taste. But you can never forget that you are practicing a craft that’s based on certain principles.
We live in an era where a motivated 12-year-old can learn the basics of timber framing, semiconductor design, or how to bake bread that would rival world-class bakeries. They can master nearly any mechanical system or any number of programming or artistic vocations, even if no mentor lives nearby. The limit is no longer some teacher or institution
... See moreA man from the city went on a retreat to the forest where he met an old woman who lived in a small shack. He said to her "It seems like a great deal of work to chop wood and build a fire just so you can make your tea." She responded "It seems like a great deal of work to wake up early and go to a job for 40 hours of every week to afford electricity
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