As the semester rapidly comes to an end, it is necessary to stop (well, pause, I have stuff to do) and reflect. When time has allowed, I meticulously study Matthew Crawford’s book, Shop Class as Soulcraft; the tag line provoking a greater discussion: “an inquiry into the value of work.” This post could steal that title, or be something like“The Agency of Physical Labor: Hard Work’s Metacognitive Benefits”, or something less self-important, but regardless a question arises: why does the act of “doing” change the game? An el dorado credo that more or less reads “if you design it, build it, and install it—good will come” has held true for our studio. I think what el dorado, and Crawford are getting at is that as you cross the line from thinker to doer, some magic happens and you start to “get it”... (more)