Some may notice that I shy away from using the term create or any of its derivatives in my writing. For me using this term is too presumptuous, perhaps arrogant. Traditionally, to create implies producing something from nothing — an activity reserved for God or the gods. Mere mortals, on the other hand, simply use the things that exist around us to fashion our world. You may have heard the ancient saying “There is nothing new under the sun,” and I tend to agree with that statement. This is not to say humans do not innovate or develop novel, original things, but the way we do this is by combining and shaping ideas and things from what already exists. That is why I prefer to use the term making.
Making requires the development of a complex body of knowledge in conjunction with refined motor skills. It involves one’s entire mind and body. It is one thing to gain theoretical knowledge on a matter or perhaps watch a YouTube video of someone demonstrating a particular process. It is completely different when you engage in the activity of making yourself. The thousands of interrelated details that need to be coordinated, the smell, the hum of the equipment, the resistance of a particular material, all develop a more complete, wholistic understanding. Mastery requires knowledge that must be accumulated by doing something repetitively, over time. For the attentive and thoughtful maker this experiential knowledge is not just a means to realize a vision but a wellspring of ideas and inspiration.