We are born makers. The instinct to design, build, and create is woven into our essence. What sets us apart, as humans, is that we design, create, and work with our hands not only to meet our needs, but for pleasure; for the pure joy of creating. Human touch, thought, and creativity are worth preserving, as they are the thumbprints in the substance of creation and the lifeblood of our existence.
Shortcuts and tools that make life easier may be fun and dazzling and can even serve a noble purpose in some instances. But when those shortcuts and tools start to take the place of our thoughts, work, and creativity, it weakens something in us.
There is treasure, dignity, and purpose as we challenge ourselves, keep our hands working and our minds creating and thinking. The long way—the slow path—builds value, awakens purpose, and makes us feel alive! The point and purpose is not that we accomplish something; rather, it is the journey—the struggle and wrestling—that gives us deep satisfaction.
Look around most homes. In happy homes, the most treasured possessions are usually not the fine art or perfectly ornate fine furniture; it’s the imperfect creations. The doodles, scribbles, handmade tables, hand-thrown vases from pottery classes, and such. Even as an adult, I prefer gifts crafted by hand: breads, candies, jams, plates, and pictures, to name a few.
Flowers from a garden, hand-painted notecards, handwritten letters…they carry a piece of the person who created them, and to receive such a present is a very great honor.
As a creator within a variety of mediums, it is incredibly tempting to utilize outside tools that would save me time, give me access to visuals and resources that would greatly enhance not only the quantity and quality of my work, but also be so helpful in growing my businesses.
Recently, I was at a crossroads: I needed photos of new products and I have access to a program that would take simple snapshots of my products and put them into amazing imagery..and no one would even know it was a program. The cost to me was negligible, as I’m using the services of this company for authentic imagery and this is part of my membership. However, I called a friend, packed up my products, drove to her house, waited a week, and paid her money to take photos.
And I’m so glad I did. It took longer, cost more, and was less convenient. Her images are amazing, but even more, they contain human touch, thought, and creativity—and that lives within each image.
Human existence is not about a beginning and an end; it’s the joy of the in-between!
As I watch the ever-growing reliance on machines to improve people’s profiles and social images, write their emails and books, plan their business strategies, and create everything for them…I find myself on the other side of a very large gap. A few years ago, someone told me I was going to be left behind, as one stuck on an old horse instead of riding a rocket. I had only one response:
Giddyup.🐴
Human touch, thought, and creativity are worth preserving because they make us alive on the inside. Working with our hands or sorting out processes and problems with our minds brings tremendous joy. Human existence is not about a beginning and an end; it’s the joy of the in-between! Not to mention, what we create carries a bit of our soul. You can tell when something was thought through, captured in the imagination, and formed with the skill of a human touch…there’s life in it.
