Thanks Jonathan. Got me thinking. My work involves a lot of mind work and communication, but recently i've been renovating a house and finding it expanding me in all kinds of ways. Just one of the benefits of creating with our hands is that our creation reveals something of the shape of our heart...it's a physical manifestation of the beauty inside us, which often goes unnoticed...
You sort of touched on this with your invitation at the end. But where does writing or making music fall into this? It's not tangible, not in the way an album cover or a sweater is. Yet that's my craft (the writing, not the music).
I think it's truly individual. Some people can get what they need creating entirely in the non-physical domain. I can get a lot out of it. Especially writing. And I play music, too. But, for me, it's different than the act of creation with physical materials. Which is part of the reason why I try to do both. They scratch my Maker itch in different ways.
Also, you can create deeply meaningful and joyful moments in both domains. You can gather people and give them something to feel, to share, and to participate in. But that blurs the line between how the act of creation makes you feel, and what the impact of that creation is when it lands in the minds and hearts of others.
End of the day, in my mind, the invitation is to create in as many ways as might be available to you that opens a channel to the feelings you seek to have.
"You can gather people and give them something to feel, to share, and to participate in. But that blurs the line between how the act of creation makes you feel, and what the impact of that creation is when it lands in the minds and hearts of others."
Definitely an interesting distinction, the one between how creation makes you feel vs where it lands in the hearts and minds of any audience. And I really appreciate the last thought you share in your response, the focus on creation as a channel into feelings.
Your wonderful talk so resonates with me right now, as I am transitioning to a new phase in my life where the act of creation, the process rather than the goal, is my priority. I especially loved your reference to the smell and feel of rubber cement on your fingertips, that is such a visceral memory of childhood! This week my great-niece and I had way too much fun creating fabric collages on recycled Styrofoam packing material. I used Mod Podge for the first time in many years, and was trying to explain to her how great it felt to peal the dried bits from my hands... For her, at age 10, this was just glue, part of her everyday life. For me, it was a revelation!
I will never forget the smell of that rubber cement, Laurie. Or the feel on your fingertips. It's like I'm back in 4th grade art class just thinking about it. And Mod Podge, sooo good! There's actually about to be more of that in my life soon as well.
To chill out - I get lost in games on my iPad... your right, I need to get lost is something of my own creation. It would be so much more fulfilling...
I love a good game or playtime on my devices. I think there's a place for that, too. But, I'm increasingly realizing it can't be "in place of" working or making with my hands. Gotta be more of a "yes, and" approach.
Great talk J! As I was dealing with a difficult time over the last few weeks I picked up a skein of yarn and a crochet hook. It’s been a few years since I have so I just started working on a granny square - easy and repetitive. No rhyme or reason. No specific “output” - just double crochet after double crochet. And a few days ago I got another skein and started again. The grief I’m feeling won’t be healed by it but it’s helping me come back to a part of myself I’ve missed. Not anything AI or a screen would be able to do.
So sorry you're in the space of grief, Maghan. And glad you had the simple practice available to you. I've found something similar, when I'm working through hard things or even seasons, having a creative practice, especially a physical one, doesn't make the hard go away, but it helps me walk with it differently.
This sharing of your story reminds me of this quote: "The purpose of craft is not so much to make beautiful things as it is to become beautiful inside while you are making those things." ~ Susan Gordon Lydon.
Your TedTalk brought this quote home and I'll more than likely listen to it again when I forget why I make things.
I am thinking about this so often. I‘ve founded a company in 2014 to import champagne from small family domains to share this amazing hand craft with the world and to inspire people coming together making the world a bit more beautiful. 11 years later this idea turned out so „successful“ that I now have 10 employees that sit 8 hours a day in front of a computer to sell, to restock, to book keep, to put in product data, to create newsletters and graphics for the webshop. And I am spending about 10-12 hours a day in front of a computer to manage all that. At least there are 2 people that are still connected with the physical world because they work in our two physical stores. How could this beautiful hand craft idea could turn in such a thing? And I wonder why there is not more resistance in the world that the normal working place is 8 hours a day of static work in front of computers? And how can I come out of this situation without burning everything down? The latest idea I have is to sell the e-commerce piece in 5 years and then to only keep my stores. Because when I sometimes have the time to work in my store, to see all the joy of the people and later close the door when the day is finished the feeling of fulfillment is indescribable. It’s simply finished, everything worked well, everybody was happy. With the digital world it’s never finished, when you shut down the computer you know that when you start it again there will be 50 emails to answer and you’ll never get to a place where it feels it’s finished.
So powerful, Nicola. Its such an interesting balancing act that we do. Been there myself, and likely will be again. I think the clearer we can get on the parts that make us come alive, the easier it becomes to know what decisions best align with that clarity. Making those decisions, however, can often take time and support. And, at the same, time, totally get the challenge of making those moves in the context of a successful business you've already built, with people you care about. I've made different decisions at those moments in the past, ending up either selling or substantially changing businesses to get to a place where we had not just product market fit, but also product maker fit. See if you can find the space to give yourself grace. We're all just figuring it out along the way.
Thank you for taking the time to respond so thoroughly. Somehow, it’s especially difficult when you’re good at something, but it doesn’t bring you any joy (for example logistics, IT or HR). You tell yourself: "I should be grateful." But after trying several approaches for 2-3 years to make it feeling easy and inspiring again, I was reminded of what I noticed in the past with projects I didn't continue: If you consistently find something difficult, then it’s simply not right, no matter the reason. You shouldn’t spend more energy trying to make it work. When something is good, it also feels harmonious and kind of right. And that’s the point I want to get back to.
Sorry and one more addition: Recently I found myself in a very absurd situation: it was a 1 day workshop from the company that offers my webshop system. We tried to answer the question „how can webshops be more beautiful and more attractive?“ The whole day we tried to capture the joyful feeling you have in a physical store to bring this online. And I was thinking „what are we doing here?“ We are trying to bring more people from buying offline to buying online which leads to slowly killing the offline businesses while we are creating an illusion of a great „experience“.
You have always been good about sharing with us. I’m glad that you are still pushing your comfort boundaries and sharing with us.
I feel like Wow, connect with your 12 year old self - that is one of the things I did this year to return to painting! You're right, I found her right in here, just waiting for me!
It's hard to live in a body getting older that hurts and doesn't always do what you ask of it. I started this year feeling very down and disconnected from my body. I had listened to you talk about your 2x20 project and realized I could explore my options and try taking small steps as experiments. I started returning to quilting and crafting. I returned to yoga, which turns out made me feel tons better almost right away. (Great teacher sure helps!) And just recently I was remembering how I loved to paint with watercolors in the backyard when I was in middle school. It gave my adolescent soul joy and peace. So just last month I returned to it. Sure enough, yep, joy and peace.
You’re right. Technology is here and can be helpful. In the right time and place, but not all the time in all places.
Love this, Julie! Very much see tech and working with our hands as a "yes, and," rather than an either or. But coming home to our hands often just takes more intention, because screens and machines feel so much more available to us.
Thanks Jonathan. Got me thinking. My work involves a lot of mind work and communication, but recently i've been renovating a house and finding it expanding me in all kinds of ways. Just one of the benefits of creating with our hands is that our creation reveals something of the shape of our heart...it's a physical manifestation of the beauty inside us, which often goes unnoticed...
Love that, Dan. Really resonates with me, too.
Loved the talk and you are so right. We have some agency over how much we use AI and how much we leaven the dough by working with our hands thx
So true, Carol!
You sort of touched on this with your invitation at the end. But where does writing or making music fall into this? It's not tangible, not in the way an album cover or a sweater is. Yet that's my craft (the writing, not the music).
I think it's truly individual. Some people can get what they need creating entirely in the non-physical domain. I can get a lot out of it. Especially writing. And I play music, too. But, for me, it's different than the act of creation with physical materials. Which is part of the reason why I try to do both. They scratch my Maker itch in different ways.
Also, you can create deeply meaningful and joyful moments in both domains. You can gather people and give them something to feel, to share, and to participate in. But that blurs the line between how the act of creation makes you feel, and what the impact of that creation is when it lands in the minds and hearts of others.
End of the day, in my mind, the invitation is to create in as many ways as might be available to you that opens a channel to the feelings you seek to have.
"You can gather people and give them something to feel, to share, and to participate in. But that blurs the line between how the act of creation makes you feel, and what the impact of that creation is when it lands in the minds and hearts of others."
Definitely an interesting distinction, the one between how creation makes you feel vs where it lands in the hearts and minds of any audience. And I really appreciate the last thought you share in your response, the focus on creation as a channel into feelings.
Thanks, Jonathan, as usual.
Your wonderful talk so resonates with me right now, as I am transitioning to a new phase in my life where the act of creation, the process rather than the goal, is my priority. I especially loved your reference to the smell and feel of rubber cement on your fingertips, that is such a visceral memory of childhood! This week my great-niece and I had way too much fun creating fabric collages on recycled Styrofoam packing material. I used Mod Podge for the first time in many years, and was trying to explain to her how great it felt to peal the dried bits from my hands... For her, at age 10, this was just glue, part of her everyday life. For me, it was a revelation!
I will never forget the smell of that rubber cement, Laurie. Or the feel on your fingertips. It's like I'm back in 4th grade art class just thinking about it. And Mod Podge, sooo good! There's actually about to be more of that in my life soon as well.
To chill out - I get lost in games on my iPad... your right, I need to get lost is something of my own creation. It would be so much more fulfilling...
I love a good game or playtime on my devices. I think there's a place for that, too. But, I'm increasingly realizing it can't be "in place of" working or making with my hands. Gotta be more of a "yes, and" approach.
Loved this and shared it!! Like all of your work, Jonathan, this means so much. Thank-you for your words.
So glad this mattered to you, Rosemary. And thanks for sharing it!
Great talk J! As I was dealing with a difficult time over the last few weeks I picked up a skein of yarn and a crochet hook. It’s been a few years since I have so I just started working on a granny square - easy and repetitive. No rhyme or reason. No specific “output” - just double crochet after double crochet. And a few days ago I got another skein and started again. The grief I’m feeling won’t be healed by it but it’s helping me come back to a part of myself I’ve missed. Not anything AI or a screen would be able to do.
So sorry you're in the space of grief, Maghan. And glad you had the simple practice available to you. I've found something similar, when I'm working through hard things or even seasons, having a creative practice, especially a physical one, doesn't make the hard go away, but it helps me walk with it differently.
come home to what makes you feel ALIVE... yes. thank you.
Homecoming is becoming a more and more central notion for me. Craft is one sweet path.
This sharing of your story reminds me of this quote: "The purpose of craft is not so much to make beautiful things as it is to become beautiful inside while you are making those things." ~ Susan Gordon Lydon.
Your TedTalk brought this quote home and I'll more than likely listen to it again when I forget why I make things.
Oh lovely quote!
Oh wow, love that quote, had never heard it before. Thanks for sharing, Laura!
Thank you, and congratulations, @Jonathan Fields loved this talk. So many golden nuggets 🙏🤩
Thanks, Angela! So glad the talk resonated with you.
So good. Can’t wait to get back to my paints. And writing makes ME. It literally creates me. This is so true and close to what it means to be human.
Love that, Kelly. I sometimes say the process of creation breathes me.
Coming home to what makes you feel alive ❤️
I am thinking about this so often. I‘ve founded a company in 2014 to import champagne from small family domains to share this amazing hand craft with the world and to inspire people coming together making the world a bit more beautiful. 11 years later this idea turned out so „successful“ that I now have 10 employees that sit 8 hours a day in front of a computer to sell, to restock, to book keep, to put in product data, to create newsletters and graphics for the webshop. And I am spending about 10-12 hours a day in front of a computer to manage all that. At least there are 2 people that are still connected with the physical world because they work in our two physical stores. How could this beautiful hand craft idea could turn in such a thing? And I wonder why there is not more resistance in the world that the normal working place is 8 hours a day of static work in front of computers? And how can I come out of this situation without burning everything down? The latest idea I have is to sell the e-commerce piece in 5 years and then to only keep my stores. Because when I sometimes have the time to work in my store, to see all the joy of the people and later close the door when the day is finished the feeling of fulfillment is indescribable. It’s simply finished, everything worked well, everybody was happy. With the digital world it’s never finished, when you shut down the computer you know that when you start it again there will be 50 emails to answer and you’ll never get to a place where it feels it’s finished.
So powerful, Nicola. Its such an interesting balancing act that we do. Been there myself, and likely will be again. I think the clearer we can get on the parts that make us come alive, the easier it becomes to know what decisions best align with that clarity. Making those decisions, however, can often take time and support. And, at the same, time, totally get the challenge of making those moves in the context of a successful business you've already built, with people you care about. I've made different decisions at those moments in the past, ending up either selling or substantially changing businesses to get to a place where we had not just product market fit, but also product maker fit. See if you can find the space to give yourself grace. We're all just figuring it out along the way.
Thank you for taking the time to respond so thoroughly. Somehow, it’s especially difficult when you’re good at something, but it doesn’t bring you any joy (for example logistics, IT or HR). You tell yourself: "I should be grateful." But after trying several approaches for 2-3 years to make it feeling easy and inspiring again, I was reminded of what I noticed in the past with projects I didn't continue: If you consistently find something difficult, then it’s simply not right, no matter the reason. You shouldn’t spend more energy trying to make it work. When something is good, it also feels harmonious and kind of right. And that’s the point I want to get back to.
Sorry and one more addition: Recently I found myself in a very absurd situation: it was a 1 day workshop from the company that offers my webshop system. We tried to answer the question „how can webshops be more beautiful and more attractive?“ The whole day we tried to capture the joyful feeling you have in a physical store to bring this online. And I was thinking „what are we doing here?“ We are trying to bring more people from buying offline to buying online which leads to slowly killing the offline businesses while we are creating an illusion of a great „experience“.
Insightful, Nicola. At least you have clearly identified the problem and how it leaves you feeling. That's a great start.
Thanks for the encouraging comment!
Love this. Can't agree more. I took this week off to paint and be creative. 🙏🏼🌈☀️🥰🎨🪄
Love that, Heather!
Loved this. And so timely - I wish we were all so thoughtful about what we gain but we also lose by relying upon AI.
So glad you enjoyed the talk, Fiona. It's definitely a dance, I'm not anti AI at all, just believe we need to be more intentional about how we use it.
You have always been good about sharing with us. I’m glad that you are still pushing your comfort boundaries and sharing with us.
I feel like Wow, connect with your 12 year old self - that is one of the things I did this year to return to painting! You're right, I found her right in here, just waiting for me!
It's hard to live in a body getting older that hurts and doesn't always do what you ask of it. I started this year feeling very down and disconnected from my body. I had listened to you talk about your 2x20 project and realized I could explore my options and try taking small steps as experiments. I started returning to quilting and crafting. I returned to yoga, which turns out made me feel tons better almost right away. (Great teacher sure helps!) And just recently I was remembering how I loved to paint with watercolors in the backyard when I was in middle school. It gave my adolescent soul joy and peace. So just last month I returned to it. Sure enough, yep, joy and peace.
You’re right. Technology is here and can be helpful. In the right time and place, but not all the time in all places.
Love this, Julie! Very much see tech and working with our hands as a "yes, and," rather than an either or. But coming home to our hands often just takes more intention, because screens and machines feel so much more available to us.
Congratulations, Jonathan! Loved the talk!
Thanks, Maureen. Loved being able to share it.