Power of Creating something you can hold
Creating virtual vs. physical objects.
Working as a Product Manager in technology for several years, I have worked on creating multiple virtual (web & mobile) products that are used by millions of users daily. I love the creative aspect of my job, where I find a problem and work with people on building the best possible product.
It wasn’t up until recently I realized the difference in creating something virtual and something physical that you can hold.
Creating something I can hold, no matter how imperfect, made me more content than launching perfect virtual products.
The first time I built something with my hands, was at a pottery studio where I was trying to make my first pot. Here’s what I learned —
You learn life lessons when you connect with the elements
The first time I took clay in my hands, I didn’t know what to do with it. All I did was play with that clay and see how much pressure it needs, how it moves, how is its consistency.
The first thing I learned is called ‘Centering the Clay’, and that’s the one thing that taught me a valuable life lesson.
Centering the clay is the task of centering it on the potter’s wheel before you can start molding it in any shape. It may sound simple, but if you ask any potter, it’s the most challenging and vital part of making any piece. Once it’s centered, you can start pulling or pushing the clay in any direction you want. But if your clay wasn’t centered in the beginning, no matter how much force you put, the piece will never come out right.
Once I put my clay on the potter’s wheel, I started connecting the dots. Life pulls us, shapes us, pushes us in many different directions. Some reasons are out of our control. If our core values or the foundations are not right, we will always be off-balance. Whatever is the final outcome, we have to be true to who we are and remember to center ourselves irrespective of the pressures of the world.
We, humans, are made up of earth’s elements, and our nature is not too different from them.
Building something with your hands
Taking this earth’s element and being able to mold it the way I wanted was a totally euphoric experience. Once I had my clay centered and shape in my mind for my new piece, it’s just amazing how involuntarily my hands moved, and I could see the clay taking the shape I wanted.
One can argue that it’s the same with software products, but for me, that wasn’t the case. Holding what I am making was a feeling unparalleled to software products. It didn’t matter how bad my first piece came out, it still makes me happy every time I see it. As its something from my mind in the physical world.
Physical creativity is less forgiving
Physical elements have their own nature, like how much water or heat they can take. There is only a certain amount of time you get to mold it the way you want, and soon clay will take its permanent shape.
Building a software product is fantastic, but they are also more forgiving. If you introduce a bug, you can quickly roll back your release, fix it and ship it out again. With physical products, you need to have a plan in mind, adjust to other external factors, plan for failures.
Lastly, it’s just fun
Building anything is fun, no matter how bad or good you are. And like any other skill, it takes time and focus on getting better at it.
