my advice to everyone is just make something analog, doesn't matter what, just create something new with your hands and brain
doesn't need to be inspired, doesn't need to be good even- just making something flips switches in your brain and makes life better
Yeah check this out I'm actually building garden boxes this year so I can fill out the weird stupid mound rows I've been trying and failing to grow on, sure it looks like shit now but once I get these fully boxed in and weeded and filled its over for you birches
I realized after shifting into woodworking, birding and gardening in my fifties that simple endeavors like these are great because you aren't dependent on anyone but yourself to bring joy
I spent about 10 hours over the last two days writing a TTRPG system from scratch because I couldn't find one that'd work for a game I wanted to run without so much homebrew that writing my own would be the same amount of work for better results.
There are a lot of crunchy-ass mecha combat systems out there, but I couldn't find one that was simple, straightforward, and decently tactical without requiring a ruler and a damage falloff table for basic attacks.
it's painting and gardening for me, i've gone dormant on pottery since covid but i'll get back to it too, sooner or later. i'm not very good at any of them but each one makes me feel connected to my body, the living earth, and my tools and materials 😌
it's taken me a long time to accept that and refocus on the joy of the process rather than the expectation that i must be naturally talented.
don't judge younger me, i grew up in an atmosphere that lauded precocious youthful talent, and taught children they had a "gift" to discover and maximize 🙄
That’s a mood and a half. I love pottery precisely because I wasn’t into it as a child, so all that youthful perfectionism and “talent” doesn’t apply to it, I can enjoy the process and not the end result.
Just finished hand sanding a small cast iron skillet. The bottom was abysmal from the factory, and I wasn't about to work on a good seasoning for that.
About eight hours of work, but I could see I'd accomplished something, and that I'd worked out frustrations too.
Time for Crisco and a hot oven.
They absolutely are. My fifteen year old big one is a work of art, I used it for damned near everything for so long. Black mirrored glass.
This is the perfect fried egg size, but about a baker's dozen years newer. So I read up and resolved to make it better.
I’ve been making tiny things. They make my brain happy. ❤️ There’s something extremely satisfying about bringing little worlds to life.
(This one has also been donated to @romancingthevote.bsky.social and can be bid on starting July 1st at 9:00 AM EDT)
www.32auctions.com/organization...
Oh the kits are lovely too! I enjoy those when I don’t want to think about what I’m doing. This one happens to be a scratch build! No kit, though I did re-purpose a few bits left over from a couple kit builds when I was making it. ❤️
This one started out as a little wooden birdhouse that I pried the front panel off. Then I picked paper for the interior, painted and added trim, built the chandelier, shingled the roof, built a couple of chairs because the first was too big, built the shelf, braided the rug, & added the details.
Completely agreed—I find painting and mixed media to be immensely rewarding. Making one’s own charcoal and paper is a special kind of artistic intimacy.
