A wonderfully written piece. Not only does it record of the value of what is now termed 'old school' learning, but highlights how foolish society has been in cast aside the pure joy felt when achieving success in skills that require long term effort. Thankfully, I've noted an awareness of this loss recently. Freya India is an articulate writer speaking to her generation about the internal sense of loss they feel , but can not name. But those of us pre- Gen Z know all too well what their loss is. I particularly appreciate how all elements of skill acquisition weave through in this piece, from sitting alone in a room, to outside in a community , one that supports, and critique, all necessary to become better. In pursuing excellence in one skill, one becomes engaged in a real community, with real friends, both ones that inspire as well as critique.
Interesting idea that limitations stem creativity. But if you think about it, there is truth in it. Boredom happens when you are limited in the things you can do. As children growing up in the 80s Romania - which was a communist country at the time - we had very few toys to play with, so we were constantly finding things to play with. I was fascinated with my grandfather's toolbox as he was fixing stuff around the house. I always wanted to play with the tools, fixing or building things. My mind was always forced to find solutions with limited resources.
We were also building toys, like model airplanes, ships or kites. Girls were sewing dresses for their dolls. Everyone was building stuff. Our imagination was running wild.
We had little to watch on TV. Cartoons were only half an hour daily. Play dates meant actively engaging with each other, playing, drawing, inventing games, building toys. Creativity wasn't optional at the time, it was survival.
The new generations after Z - they are born consumers. They don't need to create or have the time to create, because they are constantly being fed content. There is no time to be bored. I keep thinking how lucky we've been to have had that childhood. We were deprived of many things, but it built us into what we are today and I wouldn't change it for the world.
A wonderfully written piece. Not only does it record of the value of what is now termed 'old school' learning, but highlights how foolish society has been in cast aside the pure joy felt when achieving success in skills that require long term effort. Thankfully, I've noted an awareness of this loss recently. Freya India is an articulate writer speaking to her generation about the internal sense of loss they feel , but can not name. But those of us pre- Gen Z know all too well what their loss is. I particularly appreciate how all elements of skill acquisition weave through in this piece, from sitting alone in a room, to outside in a community , one that supports, and critique, all necessary to become better. In pursuing excellence in one skill, one becomes engaged in a real community, with real friends, both ones that inspire as well as critique.
Thank you for the very kind words. I’m glad a glimmer of the 80s can spark enjoyment. It did for us back then, and it can today as well.
Interesting idea that limitations stem creativity. But if you think about it, there is truth in it. Boredom happens when you are limited in the things you can do. As children growing up in the 80s Romania - which was a communist country at the time - we had very few toys to play with, so we were constantly finding things to play with. I was fascinated with my grandfather's toolbox as he was fixing stuff around the house. I always wanted to play with the tools, fixing or building things. My mind was always forced to find solutions with limited resources.
We were also building toys, like model airplanes, ships or kites. Girls were sewing dresses for their dolls. Everyone was building stuff. Our imagination was running wild.
We had little to watch on TV. Cartoons were only half an hour daily. Play dates meant actively engaging with each other, playing, drawing, inventing games, building toys. Creativity wasn't optional at the time, it was survival.
The new generations after Z - they are born consumers. They don't need to create or have the time to create, because they are constantly being fed content. There is no time to be bored. I keep thinking how lucky we've been to have had that childhood. We were deprived of many things, but it built us into what we are today and I wouldn't change it for the world.