Keep Making Shit

You know what really bums me out about our country now is that we don't make shit. Yeah, I've said it before, but...it just sucks that making something you can hold in your hands just doesn't cut it anymore. Remember that guy who made ships in a bottle? Or made his own furniture? Or that woman who cooked a 7 course meal with a black dress and pearls? Or that guy who built a model train set that ran across his attic?

You may think that takes hours of your life, but that craft is all but gone. I've run into people who do still do a few of those things. To a lot of people, it really doesn't amount all that much to interest.

Name drop alert: I'm working on a Martin Scorsese movie, where they're shooting in Taiwan. When they ship me the film, it's in these really amazing crates. It's really reinforced plywood, with edges beveled perfectly. The corners are mitered to fit, and it's thick and heavy and something to reckon with. The construction is actually really great craft. For what? To send to America where some douchebag doesn't appreciate it. It's functional to them. But to me, it was art. In fact, I used the crates in my recent photo shoot, because they looks so cool.

I really miss those days. I use to buy Model Railroad magazine. For what? I've no idea. I was thinking about building a 8'x8' model railroad set. That would've taken up too much space. It's really for someone who owns a home. But, to me...to bide your time handcrafting something, beats sitting on your ass watching Netflix. Something...seems so much more accomplished for the day. I remember going over to my friend Doug's house. He had a garage where his brother had built a model railroad at ran around the attic. It was AMAZING. Guy was a nutcase, but still, at least he wasn't plotting against the government. He was running a railroad. It surprises me why kids don't take to that hobby as much. In fact, that word "hobby" is all but lost in our vocabulary. When was the last time you used it to mean something someone was going to do for a long period of time? The word seems archaic and quaint. I mean, no one says rollerblading is a hobby, or "My hobby is binge watching 'Bates Motel.'" I honestly believe people would get into less trouble if they'd pick up a stamp collector's book. Or build a fucking birdhouse. Build something. Anything.

I use to spend days sawing at cameras to repurpose them to take modern film. It was my hobby. I felt such satisfaction, even though it wasn't the most precise, it was worthwhile time spent. And people are so curious as to why someone would take the time. Is my time less precious than yours? No. I think we have gaps we need to fill. I'd rather fill them with working with my hands...in some way. I feel it would re-invent America, if we could be seen as "makers" again.