I like what I do, and I’m good at it. But there are some (several) days where I get tired of sitting in front of a screen and wish I did something REAL. You know what I mean? Real and physical, with my hands. Creating something tangible instead of words and ideas on a screen that will eventually result in something tangible somewhere down the line, through someone else’s more physical efforts, in a place far away. But not here, not now, not right away, not through me.
I suppose that’s why I enjoy cooking and gardening so much. Using my hands and senses to transform one thing into another in front of my eyes is a magnificent feeling. In fact, the first time I made compost after months of work, I was overwhelmed with the circular nature of life and had a spiritual “ashes to ashes, dust to dust, carrot peels to soil” moment.
All this is just to say… I enjoy watching people create beautiful or functional things with their own hands and efforts, and the r/ArtisanVideos subreddit is a wonderful place to do just that.
I spent a long time watching a woman with a hypnotic voice cut a piece of rose quartz into a 20-sided D&D die.
And a guy making a bag that looks like a Madeleine.
And this badass guy making a very badass wolf mask.
Go see, marvel at the cool things people make, and try to use your hands for something besides doomscrolling and clickety-click, perhaps.
Godspeed.
Divya
Part-time marketing consultant, full-time worrier
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