Have you ever watched that show on the Science Channel called, How it's Made? It's fascinating...in a weird science sort of way. I've always loved looking behind the scenes. (I'm a sucker for those "the making of" special features on movie DVD's) When I was a kid, my dad worked in the steel industry. We got to visit a steel plant and wear hard hats while we toured the plant. Molten metal, giant machinery...I loved it. In my early fashion design career I attended many a "strike-off" to approve prints at the fabric mills. It's just mind blowing to see the journey, the process, that something dug from the earth or picked from a plant travels to become an everyday object. A bolt. A t-shirt. Man, that Industrial Revolution was some crazy stuff.
We went to Krispy Kreme this morning for the first time. I had had their doughnuts before, but had never been in one. We loved the observation window where we could watch the naked little dough rings dive into the hot oil. They bobbed about before draining, then moved on to the shower of glaze. Wow. Mind-blowing on so many levels. We watched. We ate. We had a good time.
It got me thinking about my own little production line seeing that little army of doughnuts bobbing along. The stuff I make...the stuff I sell. It's hard to keep up. Sometimes I feel like Lucy in the candy factory with the conveyor belt gone wild. There's a certain sense to it, to batching your tasks, to finding efficiency in numbers. Part of me likes thinking that way...about the process. What I really enjoy though, is the creative process. Finding the spark, digging something up, pushing it along, seeing what it becomes.
I'm not sure where I'm really going with this post. Seems the sugar/grease/caffeine combo has made me philosophical today! It's easy to get stressed about work and goals and life in general. It's hard not to focus on the end, but the process is where it's at. I guess I'm just realizing that life is a journey and since most of the time I don't know where the heck I'm going with it, I'd best enjoy the ride.
That's it. I'm having another doughnut.
7 comments:
I used to LOVE those little sections in Sesame Street where they went off to some factory so we could see how something was made. The one that really sticks in my mind is the Crayola factory. So cool!
I know what you mean about trying not to focus on the end result, but just enjoying the process. Must chill out more!
Love this post! I can totally relate to you in some ways (although on a smaller scale....less customers..).
It is funny too when you have no where to put your stuff and the closet becomes the store house to the art...
Anyway- it is all very exciting!
And those donuts are the best!
I love seeing how things are made. I have to agree with the first noter that the Mr. Rogers Crayola factory episode is stuck in my head forever.
I have to admit I have never eaten a Krispy Kreme donut before. Though I know people go crazy over them.
How sweet......my little pun LOL! It looks like they had a great time and were on a sugar high:D
I'm a fellow Etsyian... and I understand that "Lucy in the chocolate factory" feeling. Especially right now with the holidays coming.
I have an army of felt snowmen ornaments that I am tackling. 35 in all. I have my own little production line, too : )
Cheers!
I know just what you mean. It's hard to enjoy the moment when your hair's on fire and you're sweating, stitching while standing up, trying to get the boxes packed and shipped before someone calls and complains.
I remember that one time during a particularly hectic week I was standing at my table hand-stitching something frantically and my husband came in and said, "I don't like to see you standing while stitching. There's just so many things wrong with this picture."
I said, "Do you know how small the margins are on handmade goods? I need to make fourteen barrettes just to pay for a half a bag of groceries, baby!"
This is a wonderful post. I love seeing the production process (am taking notes to remind myself to watch the Science channel more). In crafting, I adore WIP shots -they are so beautiful in themselves, looking at them gives an insight into raw creativity. Thanks for the reminder that living life is a constant 'work in progress'.
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