The Great Work
Something that came into focus for me at Maker Faire and that I haven't been able to stop thinking about this week is that there is something actually spiritual about the creative process and in making things. This doesn't have anything to do with religion but something that's more fundamentally human.
It could be weaving, sewing, jewelry-making...but what made me start to think about this was our paper model kits, which start in two dimensions and are given a third by the builder. To do so, that person must see what they have, visualize what it can be, and use a variety of physical skills and tools to get there. Like all creative processes, it's an alchemical act -- it's about flux, change. In a way, the paper models are more than just a flat submarine or mill or cottage that you turn into a 3D one. They are a model of the decision-making process we engage in throughout life.
And I believe there's something especially fulfilling about doing this kind of work -- through crafting -- at this point in history. Three-dimensional work has become less of a necessity than it used to be. It's more of a novelty today. Of course there's plenty of novelty at the Maker Faire, and that's the place where you can see people take this idea to the furthest reaches of the imagination. But the work doesn't have to be bizarre or utterly esoteric. It can be quite simple and still be fulfilling, because creative work isn't just fun, it's fundamental. It's vital to who we are, and that's why every time we're reminded of this we feel like we're coming home.
It could be weaving, sewing, jewelry-making...but what made me start to think about this was our paper model kits, which start in two dimensions and are given a third by the builder. To do so, that person must see what they have, visualize what it can be, and use a variety of physical skills and tools to get there. Like all creative processes, it's an alchemical act -- it's about flux, change. In a way, the paper models are more than just a flat submarine or mill or cottage that you turn into a 3D one. They are a model of the decision-making process we engage in throughout life.
And I believe there's something especially fulfilling about doing this kind of work -- through crafting -- at this point in history. Three-dimensional work has become less of a necessity than it used to be. It's more of a novelty today. Of course there's plenty of novelty at the Maker Faire, and that's the place where you can see people take this idea to the furthest reaches of the imagination. But the work doesn't have to be bizarre or utterly esoteric. It can be quite simple and still be fulfilling, because creative work isn't just fun, it's fundamental. It's vital to who we are, and that's why every time we're reminded of this we feel like we're coming home.
1 comment:
Amen, and so well said, Karima!
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