So I realized that my usual response to needing something is “Can I make that?”
Can’t believe I’m realizing this just now. Or maybe I always knew it and just never really thought about it more.
This is coming from reaching into my tote bag and feeling around for my little coin purse that I crocheted, which was squished under my notebook carrier that I also...crocheted. And then I thought about how many other things I wondered if I could make before resorting to just looking for it in a store somewhere.
I distinctly remember thinking if I could make a shelf, create a new handle for a kettle that didn’t have one, a little bag to carry my essentials when a backpack is too much. I’ve made myself a box to carry my softbox bulb, diffuser screen, and remote, coasters for the cafe, an A3-sized semestral calendar that isn’t interrupted by breaks in between months so I can see everything week by week. My first instinct when I planned the 2018 ID exhibit was that I—not a committee or anyone else—could mount posters on foam board slats so we wouldn’t just be sticking tarp onto the walls. And I immediately went to National Bookstore and bought all their foam board.
After years of online classes and being able to teach Print & Pub again, I’m getting back into this old habit. I love making things myself, almost to a fault. It always isn’t necessary, I just...want to do things with my hands that doesn’t require looking at a screen all the time. Which kind of resulted in that sem calendar I did the other day.
I’m meeting Aze later to talk about Print & Pub since it’s going to be her first time teaching it. I feel bad that Ponci isn’t around anymore to teach it with me, because it was so fun being able to last year. We co-wrote content, and had the kids use our illustrations from the birding guide we did a few years ago for the Ateneo Wild. It was like a nice full circle moment for us.
I want to make more stuff.