Build Something

There is something exciting about creating something, fastening, screwing, nailing, painting or renovating. It’s like cleaning on steroids. Rather than wiping a surface clean, you’re reusing, repurposing or re-imaging something. It's fresh, it’s personal and it’s made from your own hands. You probably used some tools for the project, and you probably used your hands. It was a physical, in the now, project. You planned, prioritised and completed your project. There is no better feeling. There is a reason why so many tradies will tell anyone who will listen which building sites they’ve worked on as they drive past.

Someone, somewhere got payed to build this

If you’re a beginner, you take longer, you use the wrong (or cheaper version) of tools, you make mistakes, you learn, you grow and you have fun. If it’s personal, it’s always going to be special. If it’s something in your house, you’re going to walk past it everyday with a sense of pride and satisfaction. Even a simple project can give you an immense feeling of pride, a sense of purpose, and generally, you’ll save a lot of money too. Of course, you can’t expect your work to be as good or long-lasting as if it were professionally done, but that’s not the point. The point is you did it. The point is that it’s forever yours. And the best part is that only you will know where the little mistakes are, the little imperfections. These add a personal touch. They add character. Just like being human, we all have our character flaws, our imperfections and insecurities. Without them we would all be the same. This is what makes us (and what we build) unique. 

This building has HEAPS of character

I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to build a complete house from scratch. I don’t think anything could compare. It would be a gruelling physical effort, and one that is almost impossible if you aren’t a full-time tradesperson. Even modern builders quote 12-24 months, and that’s for teams of professionals. But the reward and satisfaction would be immense. Like winning the pride lottery. However, that’s just a pipe-dream of a few, highly-skilled individuals. Rules and regulations simply don’t make it viable to the individual anymore. 

Young couple pays someone else to build their dream home

As beginners we should always keep it simple. Let’s do something small. A project to build skills, to build time under the tools. There is something hypnotizingly simple about taking a paint brush and working a few coats throughout the day. Especially in lockdown, it’s the perfect time to start your little home project. It could be something as simple as giving an outside chair a fresh coat of paint. It will improve your own happiness ten-fold in a timeline full of misery. Both the chair and you, will breathe new life.