Commentary: Making a Culture of Creation, Not Consumption

Painter

Throughout history, humankind has excelled in being creative. I’d argue that we still do! Unfortunately, in our modern times, this natural creativity is being pushed aside in favor of our need to consume. This need is just as instinctual, of course; how could we survive if we didn’t consume water, food, sleep, or shelter? We simply have to consume the basic necessities before we can be free to produce anything else. This dichotomy of creativity and consumption is designed as a balance, and generally, it works very well.

We have a modern problem, however. Our natural need to consume has turned into a full-on culture and lifestyle, and it is being systematically progressed by sellers of all sorts. Politics, media, industry, technology, agriculture, and business advertisers everywhere have capitalized on offering us more, more, and more if we only buy their “thing.”

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Commentary: 20 Historical Hobbies for $20 or Less

New hobbies can seem intimidating and—worse—expensive. The internet offers complicated lists and costly supplies for even the most basic of skills. We might feel that we can’t invest too much into a hobby—who knows if we’ll be good at it anyway?

In reality, many hobbies—particularly those that rely more on building a skill than on collecting items—begin with very few supplies. In fact, there’s a wealth of historical skills we can practice for entertainment, self-improvement, and practicality!

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