After spending a week with visual artist Makoto Fujimura, I’ve found myself thinking about making. Making is often thought of as its own pursuit. A thing only people with special skills can do. Carpenters, masons, engineers, mechanics, are all easily considered makers. The truth, however, is that we all are.
In fact, we are all continually engaged in the cycle of making. From inspiration, to preparation, to execution, we find ourselves in the making of things, relationships, culture (the communal expression of values), and institutions. Everyone is already a part of this. Whether we are aware of it or not, desire to be or not, this is the case.
This is both empowering and debilitating. It’s empowering because we’re already in. No special skills required. We are in the mix and tasked to make. It can be debilitating because when we become aware of our context we may be struck with the responsibility for all our past, present and future actions. Here there is grace.
We do what we can with what we are given to reconcile the past, so that we can do what we must with what we have right now for the sake of the future.
What is on your heart to make?