Tangible Goods
I’ve been on a bit of a baking binge lately. Cookies, cakes, brownies… desserts have been baked, wrapped, and packed off to hungry coworkers and family memers. It keeps me off the laptop for a night and works an entirely different set of creative muscles. (It also makes the house smell amazing.)
When working all day writing software, then coming home and pouring more energy into other online efforts the only thing I have to show for it are headaches, tired hands, and a couple billion rearranged electrons (which are unfortunately invisible.) Every keystroke disappears into a compiler, and countless clicks and screens of researched data are simply absorbed into my brain to be silently gnawed at.
Cake, though, is an physical result of exerted effort. Ingredients plus technique plus patience, love, and heat can equal a delicious chocolate cake. You can look at a beautiful homemade cake and see an effort made - and even better, you get to share it with people you care about.
But then lies part of my paradox… after the platter is licked clean am I really left with much morethan a few billion rearranged electrons? Maybe I should start making birdhouses…
Nah, I think I’ll stick with dessert. Mayan Chocolate Cupcakes, anyone?
