Why Millennials Are Returning to Handcrafted Hobbies

The overwhelmingly digital nature of our lives is causing an unintended macro trend that I, for one, am quite excited to lean into–a return to handcrafted hobbies. There’s surely no slowing down the train of digital ubiquity, but many millennials, including myself, are finding more and more serenity in offline hobbies that reconnect us with an original human skill–making things by hand.

A Quick Story

I grew up in a family that lauded and practiced craftsmanship since well before I was born. In fact, my maternal grandfather, Russell Morash, (for whom I was named–yes, my first name is actually Russell) was taught by his father and his before him in the skills of carpentry. The “do-it-yourself” mantra he embodies is actually what defined his illustrious career in television producing and directing–spanning decades and including such iconic classics as The French Chef (with Julia Child), *This Old House, New Yankee Workshop, The Victory Garden *(in which my grandmother, Marian Morash, was a star chef in), and others. The passion in their crafts that they both exemplified throughout their careers is more inspiration than I’ll ever deserve to propel me towards my own goals.

From left to right: (1) Russ after 1 of 14 Emmy awards, (2) baby Jack hanging with my grandmother, Julia Child, & parents (3) learning on my first workbenchAll of that is to say that making things by hand, whether it’s a beautiful table or a delicious boeuf bourguignon, is a huge source of family pride and one that all of the children and grandchildren appreciate, admire, and hope to live up to constantly.

Many years before I could fully comprehend how impactful these early lessons would be on my later life, I was given a small toolbox, a Jack-sized workbench (see above right), and, of course, safety goggles, and told to go for it. I’d screw one block into another, nail this one into that, and while I assure you my creations weren’t going to win any carpentry awards, I was able to tangibly feel progress and failure. It was not some nebulous or subjective result–I had either successfully made what I set out to or I had not. That rare clarity in creation is one that I still hold dear today.

What I’m also intrigued by these days is that it’s not just carpentry-obsessed families that are trending towards handcrafted hobbies. Whether indicated by the success of shows like Fixer Upper, or the emergence of more pottery, baking, or painting classes than I can count, there’s been a clear pendulum swing back to a desire to learn about these crafts.

So Why Does It Matter?

I won’t ramble on much more than that. Hopefully, you’re able to learn something from this post–but if nothing else, please take away this:

Our agency to change the world around us can feel distant and foggy when our most common actions are simple keyboard strokes. But if you can, find an activity that lets you create and build and break and rebuild with your hands. These are the hobbies teach us lessons that, while not as directly applicable in a digital context, end up enduring much longer than you might think.

Finally, as my favorite *New Yankee Workshop *coffee mug says: ‘and remember, always wear your safety glasses.”