Even though I am going to bring up a subject that I covered only a few weeks ago, sometimes the current experience of the subjects and the more vivid feelings that arise about them make me want to talk about them again.
Many years ago I came across a video of an artist playing an instrument that I had never heard of, did not know what it was, and after researching it I realised how fantastic it was. So much so that (as far as I knew at the time) he must have been one of the few people playing it, and when I was looking for the theremin, his videos would definitely come my way. It is definitely an instrument played as if it were straight out of a fictional novel, I suggest you take the time to listen.
Years later, when I came across the same person’s social media account, I followed him, thinking I would listen to his posts. Over time, I came across videos of him building his own house by hand in his hometown, in a green landscape, for a quieter life. I think this is a great thing. Nowadays (including me), the curiosity and ability to engage in physical labour-based occupations, which we can call 20th century skills, has diminished. I’m talking about being able to hammer a nail, fix a tap or handle a mechanical tool. This person, on the other hand, took his craft to the next level and built his house to live in. Sounds simple, but is it really?
He got married, had a child, but he has another craft that he has been working on both before and now. He writes his own book and he also makes his own book. With everything, from the beginning… He adds other illustrations like drawing and marbling that he can do. He does this a certain number of times and then moves on to another project. He does not do any of them digitally, each one is handmade. Just like the way he sends bottled drinks with his book.
He folds the paper, stitches the pages, measures and cuts the leather for the cover. He does them one by one, by hand, in the style he wants, with the tools he needs for each one. He works with great pleasure, without feeling dependent on anyone. We can clearly say that he puts in a remarkable amount of labour and does what he loves.
Photo by Hunter Haley on Unsplash
My friend asked me a question: “Why did you wait so long to write, and why did you cling to writing more than before?” Although it was not a matter I had given much thought to before, when the question arose, the answer seemed to flow from my mouth.
I think I saw the act of writing as an ordinary endeavour (like reading a book). For me, the concept of talent was to be able to play a musical instrument, to be good at a sport, to make a fine sketch, in short, to be able to produce something in line with the knowledge we can later add to ourselves through learning. I discovered late that this was not the case, which is why I have waited until now.
Yes, “there’s a time for everything”, but that’s not the point. The point is that because I loved both reading and writing, I never considered them to be part of a talent. I think my brain spontaneously saw them as simple efforts. Just as we learned to read and write in primary school, it was one of the simplest and most basic tasks, and anyone could do it.
If everyone could do them, were they really important? Could they be an essential part of life? Could they be part of my life’s purpose?
So I think I always thought that I was inferior and that I had no talent. I said to myself “I have to do this, otherwise I’m useless” and so I made a mess of the things I was working on because it was more necessity and unnecessary anxiety than pleasure and joy. Anxiety is necessary, don’t get me wrong; it can be a powerful impulse to move us forward if we know how to channel it. But at a young age, with so many pressing concerns, I could not see that.
The funny thing is that these two favourite pursuits were always there in front of me and I was always practising them. But I never saw them as necessary, I never saw them as abilities, I never assumed that they could be part of my life. I just saw them as things that, in time, I would take for granted as hobbies. I was mistaken. Realising this allowed me to answer my second question.
Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash
The person I’m talking about lives the life I want, both as an artist and as a craftsman. If I said I was not jealous, I would be lying. But the point is that I don’t feel any sadness now. On the contrary, he is the reason I can write this article and feel passionate about it. In other words, I am happy for him and for myself to be able to experience these feelings. In the past, my younger self would probably have been bored with the last thing he was working on and sulked at him. Now I know how to embrace it wholeheartedly.
None of this means I’m a great novelist or an accomplished storyteller. But it does make me realise that this is the purpose of my life. I want to read, research, learn and teach more, and I want to do it through writing and storytelling. These are things that I spend a lot of time doing, that I do sincerely, that I never get bored doing, and that I want to keep doing; I want to be interested in them for the rest of my life. Like him, but a bit different. Like building my house with books or playing instruments with words.
I now realise more and more that labour is one of the most important elements in life. I think it is one of the understandable ways to see if people are living a quality life and if we can learn from them. Therefore, I think that following people who have dedicated themselves to enjoyable and instructive efforts for their dreams can be one of the healthy ways to motivate ourselves. At the same time, this medium also needs articles that have been created with hard work, because this will lead to our own growth.
I would like to give an example to complete this article. Imagine a friend buys you an expensive present. Of course you would like it. Imagine someone who cannot receive such a gift, but who has created something through their own efforts, who has spent time working on it, and who can reflect their feelings and thoughts about the gift. Your thoughts about that person (whoever that person may be) will definitely change. Labour always prevails because it is the companion of time and desire.
Look at all the things you like to do. Perhaps one of them is not as “simple and ordinary” as you think. It may open the door to a new pursuit.
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