1. What does DIY mean?
“DIY” or more commonly known as “Do-It-Yourself” is a term that describes the method of building, modifying, and fixing things by yourself without the help of professionals. There are many theories on how “Do It Yourself” projects have gone mainstream and inspire more and more people to start crafting by themselves in the comfort of their own homes.
Some of the reasons why DIY projects have gained significant popularity are mostly thanks to the rise of DIY Youtube channels, people are more mindful of environmental problems, or we just simply do it just purely for the joy of making something that’s both fun and special to us.
Despite its lengthy history, “Do-It-Yourself” projects can date back hundreds of years ago. They can definitely continue to prove their significance in future times, as the movement has taken off and does not seem to go away anytime soon thanks to social media.
2. How have DIY projects helped us?
People, in general, tend to be quite dismissive of “Do-It-Yourself” projects as people usually deemed them as a waste of time. They argue that you can save yourself time and resources just by going out and buying the exact item that you need without going through the whole crafting process. However, that’s not always the case, because crafting can provide an excellent opportunity to learn, improve your mental agility, and solve problems along the way.
Crafting, building, and repairing are some of the main aspects of the DIY culture. As much as we are appreciative of the comfort that modernity has given us, we cannot deny that these things are not vital to our daily lives. It also develops a sense of identity and keeps us away from being too reliant on technology.
DIY projects can also help you on a more interpersonal level too, it can be a conversation starter wherever you go thus bonding and relating with other people to make new friends.
3. Why should we appreciate it?
In the past, we would look down upon handmade items mainly because we put the financial value of an item above the sentimental value behind it. Another reason for this is we also put our worth behind consumerism, and vanity, and forget that the true value of an item can go way beyond that if we just put our ignorance away.
In the age where many items are mass-produced and big box stores are popping up around the corner. While there is nothing wrong with mass-produced products to match the increasing demand of people, there is also a rising need for artisan items to maintain a non-corporate and sentimental feel.
Fast forward to today, people tend to be more appreciative of artisan items than ever. One of the biggest factors is probably the pandemic, when we are under lockdown and ingredients are scarce, we have to work with what we currently have on hand, this really ignites the appreciation for craftsmanship for many of us since we learn how to live in survival mode.
4. How can we maintain our relationship with DIY products?
The answer is simple, you can do this by supporting your local artists and crafters in your area or buying from independent sellers online through websites like Etsy. There are many ways for you to maintain your relationship with DIY products, some can be as simple as taking on a simple project right now.
It’s completely okay to be not so good at what you do, not everything is about being serious or perfect. You can just simply enjoy the process and let loose!