I think we can all agree on one thing:
There has been plenty of noise lately.
For months, we’ve been surrounded by advertisements, opinions, arguments, predictions, signs, mailers, commercials, and people telling us why somebody else is wrong.
So I thought I would do something completely different.
I’m not going to add another opinion to the pile.
I’m going to encourage you to make something.
The Bench Lesson
One of the things I love about the jewelry bench is that it demands my attention.
When I’m holding a torch, guiding a saw blade, setting a stone, or trying to remove that one stubborn scratch, there isn’t much room left in my head for everything happening outside the shop.
The work brings me back to what is directly in front of me.
A piece of metal.
A tool.
A problem to solve.
And hopefully, when I’m finished, something exists that didn’t exist before.
That is one of the wonderful things about being a maker.
We add something to the world.
The Life Lesson
There will always be plenty of people willing to point out what is wrong.
Creators have a different opportunity.
We can make something better.
We can create beauty.
We can repair something that is broken.
We can teach someone something useful.
We can encourage another person.
We can take raw material and turn it into something meaningful.
That doesn’t mean we ignore what is happening around us.
It simply means we remember that our influence is not limited to the things we argue about.
Every day, we get to decide what we contribute.
The Problem
Negativity is remarkably good at consuming our attention.
And attention is one of our most valuable resources.
If we give all of it away to things that frustrate, anger, or divide us, there may not be much left for the things we actually have the ability to change.
Our work.
Our relationships.
Our character.
Our communities.
Our craft.
Sometimes the best thing we can do is turn down the volume and put our hands back to work.
The Solution
So sometime this week, maybe give yourself permission to step away from the noise.
Walk into the shop.
Pick up a tool.
Make something.
Fix something.
Learn something.
Teach someone.
Call a friend.
Encourage somebody who needs it.
Do something constructive with the part of the world you can actually touch.
You probably won’t solve every problem.
But you can leave one small corner of the world a little better than you found it.
Encouragement
One of the reasons I love craftsmen and creators is that we are naturally wired toward possibility.
We look at a piece of metal and imagine what it could become.
We look at something broken and wonder whether it can be repaired.
We look at a problem and start searching for a solution.
Maybe the world could use a little more of that mindset.
Less: “Look what’s wrong.”
And a little more: “What can I do to make something better?”
This Week’s Question
When the noise gets loud, ask yourself:
What can I create, repair, teach, or encourage today?
Then go do that.
Be kind to the people around you.
Make something worthwhile.
The world has enough noise.
Let’s add a little craftsmanship.
Together, Let’s Make the BEST Jewelry of Your LIFE!
— Doug
JewelryMonk
Want more like this? Doug shares new techniques, bench videos, and member Q&A on Patreon. Join the Jewelry Monk community on Patreon.
This post originally appeared on Doug’s Patreon.