Why DIY?
Or tell me again why I am doing this?
What drives us to create?
I recently saw a meme going around social media that asked this question: “Why should I buy a product for $5 when I can pay $45 in craft supplies and make it myself?” Or something along those lines. Even I, a DIY’er, had to laugh.
The question stayed with me, however. Why do we quest to do things ourselves? What drives us? As presented in the social media question, money saving is not always the answer. How many of us purchase fabric, art or craft supplies, or woodworking tools for ONE project?
Why??
I know a man who spends thousands of dollars on woodworking tools and lumber to hand create beautiful furniture. His pieces are works of art, but why not purchase cheap furniture that would serve the same purpose? Why buy a piano and pay for lessons when free downloads of any music one could want is readily available? Why buy expensive hiking gear when you can view photos of beautiful nature areas? Why spend the time and money to create home cooked meals when ready-made meals are available?
You are probably already thinking of some obvious answers.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized there were almost endless reasons people spend time and money to learn tasks, and put long hours of labor into creating things that they could easily purchase some version of. Perhaps not the same quality as what they can do - but perhaps better quality. The person just learning to play a violin could certainly get “better quality music” by purchasing from their favorite musician. Yet, they still strive to increase their own skills.
The Many Benefits Of DIY
The forces that keep us on the quest to accomplish and learn new skills is personal to each of us. For me, it is a mix of saving money, the love of learning and gaining new knowledge, and the wonderful feelings of accomplishment from a task well done.
Also, I need a sense of control - If I were being honest, that is probably a very important reason for me. I don’t like cancelations, miscommunications, or waiting on contractors. I don’t want my yard work done according to someone else’s schedule. That is why, when my husband injured his foot, I immediately purchased yard tools that were sized for me. I took on mowing and edging.
I also have a tremendous respect for skilled tradespeople and craftspeople. Old world skills are slipping away, which is very sad to me. Everyone should have basic life skills: survival, cooking, cleaning, sewing, carpentry, and natural medicine. It is important to gain skills needed in the workforce, but working for a company is not all there is to life. I do not want to be dependent on others for simple things that our ancestors all knew how to do for themselves.
Creativity has many health benefits as well. We release our emotions, reduce stress, and challenge our brains when learning new skills. Many activities provide much needed exercise. I can’t even tell you how many times I climbed up and down ladders when painting various houses over the years. And mowing, edging, and general gardening tasks are not always easy. And don’t get me started on pulling up subfloor or scraping off old ceilings. I am thankful that I have a family that works together as a group, including my husband, daughters, and son-in-law.
Most of my DIY projects have actually saved me a tremendous amount of money - and even earned some money. We saved money by tackling home improvement projects, and by designing and sewing clothing and home decor items. I have also sold some of my art pieces.
Our previous site, CraftAndFabricLinks.com, received emails from men, women and children all over the world thanking us for our free sewing and craft patterns and lessons. Their heartfelt letters kept us motivated to keep learning and passing on information. That site, like this one, was a family project.
Now, we have moved to Spruce And Fjell in order to expand into more DIY areas. Our mission is to do our best to pass on the knowledge we have been blessed with. (CraftAndFabricLinks is still up, but we are moving to this space.)
You Can Do It!
Go for it! Expand your brain. Get exercise. Feel good about accomplishing something yourself. Expand your creativity. Let go of your fears.
Balance
As stated in other articles, balance is important in order to stay motivated. When not DIY’ing, I am out hiking with my husband and friends, or working on art projects. I am no expert at either, but that keeps it interesting and challenging. I do not have to be “perfect.” I relax and enjoy the process.
The bear is a painting I did just before our big move from the Southwest to the Pacific Northwest. I needed distraction. The mountain photo is from a favorite trail on Mt. Rainier.
