diy

when was the last time you made something? not assembled something from ikea. actually created a thing that didn't exist before you decided to make it.

the outsourcing of everything

we've optimized ourselves into helplessness. need food? delivery app. need furniture? amazon. need entertainment? streaming service. need a shelf? hire someone. the convenience is incredible. the side effect is that you've forgotten you're a capable human being with hands that can do things.

your grandparents could fix a car, build a deck, sew a button, and cook a meal from scratch. you can barely change a tire without watching a youtube tutorial. that's not progress. that's learned helplessness.

why making things matters

the act of creating something physical rewires your brain. it builds problem-solving skills that no app can replicate. when your homemade soap comes out wrong or your homebrewed beer tastes like regret, you troubleshoot. you iterate. you learn from failure in a way that's immediate and tangible.

there's also a deep satisfaction in using something you made. drinking coffee from a mug you threw on a pottery wheel. wearing a scarf you knitted. eating bread you baked. these things taste different because they carry your effort.

pick something and start

here are some starting points with low barriers to entry:

• brew beer or kombucha: a starter kit costs less than a night out
• make soap: basic ingredients, a mold, and youtube
• build a computer: buy the parts, follow a guide, learn how the machine you use every day actually works
• grow herbs: a windowsill, some pots, some seeds, and patience

the first attempt will probably suck. that's the point. you're not trying to become an artisan. you're trying to remember that you can make things.

stop buying, start building

this weekend, pick one thing and make it yourself. don't aim for perfection. aim for completion. a finished ugly thing beats a perfect imaginary thing every single time.

if this resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it.