I think a lot of creatives and people who, in general, live in their heads, will find themselves agreeing with the premise of this post. I think there gets a point where it feels extremely nauseating and even anxiety inducing if you spend all your hours locked in a room, dancing with theories and books and ideas and words and images but never with reality itself. And the doubts of whether one is doing real or fake work creep in. That’s what Paul Graham was getting at in this post: https://paulgraham.com/selfindulgence.html
But perhaps this is the exact reason why Nobel laureates have very contrasting hobbies to the kind of work that they do (read Range by David Epstein). For example, some Nobel winning scientists would spend a lot of free time playing an instrument. Because a hobby like that keeps them rooted in reality, as a kind of antidote to abstraction. And also, maybe it’s because the world of ideas and word and abstraction ceases to be useful once it’s devoid of any connection to reality. Reconnecting to the world might help the quality of your work in so many ways. Great writing!
Ah Jaden, this is so good and such a lovely reminder of why I write, to connect with bright and insightful people who can teach me more about the world.
I read Range a few years ago, after finishing Outliers by Gladwell, but never made the connection for range as an antidote to abstraction. Perhaps it's valuable, both for a surprising connection perspective and a mental release valve.
I'll make sure to check out the Paul Graham post. Thank you again for your time and thoughtfulness here (:
You did a fine job of building the Log Lodge. You were methodical with research, drawings and studying. I dare say your writing is the same. In 1981 we lived in Auburn, Wa. We split five cords of wood with our neighbor. They were huge, the size of of telephone poles. My husband was the cutter/splitter and I was the stacker. It was very hard work.
Thank you Monica (: really appreciate your kind words & love the connection between building and writing, there are certainly some interesting parallels there. Like that famous line: "how you do anything is how you do everything".
Love the story of splitting cords of wood in Wa, that's storybook material. Also, I read a line somewhere that the best way to build relationships is to do work together. Perhaps splitting and stacking wood is a perfect example.
This post reveals for me a fair bit about your writing talent, getting to see the way you think and plan what you construct, not only from the standpoint of its functionality, but its essence and value to the spirit. I greatly appreciated this simple observation. "Reality has a surprising amount of detail." I built a camper on the back of a pick-up truck that I owned in my 20s. I thought it was going to take me 3 days and it was well over 3 months as a project.
Thank you Rick, reading your words brought a big smile to my face (:
Love the story of you building a camper on the back of your pick-up, such a cool things to do in your 20s. I always seem to drastically underestimate how long projects will take haha.
Hope your week is lovely. Appreciate your thought and insight, as always
To feel as though I exist in this world, I create both ethereal ideas with words and tangible objects with my hands. The first activity gives me the lift of a balloon. The second creates the string that keeps me from flying away.
Thank you J.T. For reading and your absolutely beautiful, poetic reflection here. That balance of being lifted up but not flying away... my mind also goes to trees with branches in the wind but roots in the earth.
Thank you Tommy for this essay! I agree with footnote 5 (or reverse the blue/white collar parts if you're so inclined)! That's why I really like my sports coaching work. It's a blend of theory (how do you convey general principles to athletes) and physical practice (how do you get athletes to solve movement puzzles).
Thanks for reading Jeremy, appreciate your time and thoughtfulness here (:
I considered making the core idea of the piece "white collar work, blue collar hobbies" but it felt a bit too generalized and ignorant.
Also, I love the connection to sports coaching--awesome you're able to find a passion that perhaps balances out the physics and intense intellectual work haha
Tommy I love it! Both of it. The actual log lodge (great name) and the essay! Miss doing that work with you! The summer we had out east was just fantastic! Keep it up (both of it)!! x
Thanks for sharing your experience. And there were lots of nuggets of wisdom in there. Hard to choose my favorite from all the aphorisms, but I think it has to be:
"It's almost impossible to appreciate the amount of care that goes into making something functional and beautiful until you try to make it yourself. Reality has a surprising amount of detail."
I have definitely noticed this trend when learning a new skill, such as trying to make a movie, or learning to dance, or playing guitar. I think our cognitive capacities are so limited that we can't afford to notice everything, so we focus on one thing and the rest becomes a blur. For example, all trees to me are just "trees." I can't tell them apart, because I don't know their names. And that's kinda sad.
But the silver lining is that there is always more to learn, and once we do, we get a richer appreciation for reality. I now have mad respect for cinematographers, dancers, and guitarists, and I enjoy their work so much more.
One last thought-- I am glad that your project went so swimmingly, and I think it's good to encourage others to attempt similar projects. But I also think it's worth managing expectations, so that people don't get disappointed.
When I was in college, I got a job at a mechanic's shop because I wanted to learn how to work with cars. I've been doing it for over 10 years now, and the one thing I've learned is that "it always takes longer than you expect." Working on cars sucks, it's a pain in the ass, and most of the time I break something while I'm trying to fix something else. If I think it will take 3 hours, it's going to take 30. At best.
It's still enjoyable, and I am glad I have the skill, but I constantly have to remind myself that any pet projects I have in mind for my car are going to take a significant amount of time and effort to complete. And I have to plan for that.
And so my point is, it's worth reminding people that some of their fears around starting a project like this are justified, because it is often very difficult and back-breaking and splinter-embedding and so on. But it's ultimately worth it. Just don't be surprised when things are hard, is all.
I think a lot of creatives and people who, in general, live in their heads, will find themselves agreeing with the premise of this post. I think there gets a point where it feels extremely nauseating and even anxiety inducing if you spend all your hours locked in a room, dancing with theories and books and ideas and words and images but never with reality itself. And the doubts of whether one is doing real or fake work creep in. That’s what Paul Graham was getting at in this post: https://paulgraham.com/selfindulgence.html
But perhaps this is the exact reason why Nobel laureates have very contrasting hobbies to the kind of work that they do (read Range by David Epstein). For example, some Nobel winning scientists would spend a lot of free time playing an instrument. Because a hobby like that keeps them rooted in reality, as a kind of antidote to abstraction. And also, maybe it’s because the world of ideas and word and abstraction ceases to be useful once it’s devoid of any connection to reality. Reconnecting to the world might help the quality of your work in so many ways. Great writing!
Ah Jaden, this is so good and such a lovely reminder of why I write, to connect with bright and insightful people who can teach me more about the world.
I read Range a few years ago, after finishing Outliers by Gladwell, but never made the connection for range as an antidote to abstraction. Perhaps it's valuable, both for a surprising connection perspective and a mental release valve.
I'll make sure to check out the Paul Graham post. Thank you again for your time and thoughtfulness here (:
Thanks and love your writing!
You did a fine job of building the Log Lodge. You were methodical with research, drawings and studying. I dare say your writing is the same. In 1981 we lived in Auburn, Wa. We split five cords of wood with our neighbor. They were huge, the size of of telephone poles. My husband was the cutter/splitter and I was the stacker. It was very hard work.
Thank you Monica (: really appreciate your kind words & love the connection between building and writing, there are certainly some interesting parallels there. Like that famous line: "how you do anything is how you do everything".
Love the story of splitting cords of wood in Wa, that's storybook material. Also, I read a line somewhere that the best way to build relationships is to do work together. Perhaps splitting and stacking wood is a perfect example.
This post reveals for me a fair bit about your writing talent, getting to see the way you think and plan what you construct, not only from the standpoint of its functionality, but its essence and value to the spirit. I greatly appreciated this simple observation. "Reality has a surprising amount of detail." I built a camper on the back of a pick-up truck that I owned in my 20s. I thought it was going to take me 3 days and it was well over 3 months as a project.
Thank you Rick, reading your words brought a big smile to my face (:
Love the story of you building a camper on the back of your pick-up, such a cool things to do in your 20s. I always seem to drastically underestimate how long projects will take haha.
Hope your week is lovely. Appreciate your thought and insight, as always
To feel as though I exist in this world, I create both ethereal ideas with words and tangible objects with my hands. The first activity gives me the lift of a balloon. The second creates the string that keeps me from flying away.
Thank you J.T. For reading and your absolutely beautiful, poetic reflection here. That balance of being lifted up but not flying away... my mind also goes to trees with branches in the wind but roots in the earth.
Appreciate all your support and kindness here (:
Ah, the tree with waving branches is an apt and enticing metaphor, Tommy!
Congratulations on a job well done, Tommy! That is a sturdy, useful, and beautiful log lodge.
Thank you Tommy for this essay! I agree with footnote 5 (or reverse the blue/white collar parts if you're so inclined)! That's why I really like my sports coaching work. It's a blend of theory (how do you convey general principles to athletes) and physical practice (how do you get athletes to solve movement puzzles).
Thanks for reading Jeremy, appreciate your time and thoughtfulness here (:
I considered making the core idea of the piece "white collar work, blue collar hobbies" but it felt a bit too generalized and ignorant.
Also, I love the connection to sports coaching--awesome you're able to find a passion that perhaps balances out the physics and intense intellectual work haha
This resonated in a major way.
Thank you Alex (:
Tommy I love it! Both of it. The actual log lodge (great name) and the essay! Miss doing that work with you! The summer we had out east was just fantastic! Keep it up (both of it)!! x
Thanks Marlene (:
Thanks for sharing your experience. And there were lots of nuggets of wisdom in there. Hard to choose my favorite from all the aphorisms, but I think it has to be:
"It's almost impossible to appreciate the amount of care that goes into making something functional and beautiful until you try to make it yourself. Reality has a surprising amount of detail."
I have definitely noticed this trend when learning a new skill, such as trying to make a movie, or learning to dance, or playing guitar. I think our cognitive capacities are so limited that we can't afford to notice everything, so we focus on one thing and the rest becomes a blur. For example, all trees to me are just "trees." I can't tell them apart, because I don't know their names. And that's kinda sad.
But the silver lining is that there is always more to learn, and once we do, we get a richer appreciation for reality. I now have mad respect for cinematographers, dancers, and guitarists, and I enjoy their work so much more.
Ah I love this Grant. Thank you for reading & leaving such an insightful comment. Much for me to think about. Really appreciate your time here (:
One last thought-- I am glad that your project went so swimmingly, and I think it's good to encourage others to attempt similar projects. But I also think it's worth managing expectations, so that people don't get disappointed.
When I was in college, I got a job at a mechanic's shop because I wanted to learn how to work with cars. I've been doing it for over 10 years now, and the one thing I've learned is that "it always takes longer than you expect." Working on cars sucks, it's a pain in the ass, and most of the time I break something while I'm trying to fix something else. If I think it will take 3 hours, it's going to take 30. At best.
It's still enjoyable, and I am glad I have the skill, but I constantly have to remind myself that any pet projects I have in mind for my car are going to take a significant amount of time and effort to complete. And I have to plan for that.
And so my point is, it's worth reminding people that some of their fears around starting a project like this are justified, because it is often very difficult and back-breaking and splinter-embedding and so on. But it's ultimately worth it. Just don't be surprised when things are hard, is all.