2025-12-07
The making of meaning
There's something so deeply human about making something yourself.It doesn't have to be big or impressive. Sometimes, for me, it's just cutting out a small sticker using parchment paper, markers and white printer paper for my journal; folding paper into something pretty; baking a fresh batch of cookies; or just writing a letter in cursive by hand.I like the process of it. The way you start with nothing - a blank page, some string, a lump of clay - and somehow, after a little while, there's something that didn't exist before.I've never made things because I was forced to. It hasn't been about saving money or doing it "the hard way." I just like the feeling of creating something from scratch, especially when it's for someone I care about. When I make gifts for my mom, I almost always end up with something handmade, including cards, drawings or tiny things I spent hours putting together. It's not perfect, but that's what I like. You can feel the time and thought that went into it. It's like giving someone a little piece of how you see them.I think we forget how much we can make with our own hands. Everything can easily be bought or downloaded now that creating something yourself almost feels old-fashioned. But to me, that's what makes it special. When I draw or build or craft something, I'm reminded that I can bring an idea into the real world. That's kind of amazing, when you think about it. Humans have been doing that forever, and it's still just as satisfying.At Hopkins, I've also been spending time in the PAVA Center Makerspace. It's where people can design things, 3D print models, handle wood and learn how to use machines and tools. It's weird that so much of it involves technology but still feels very human. You're still shaping something, still thinking about form and balance and texture. I like watching an idea slowly become tangible, piece by piece, print by print. Sometimes it fails completely, and you have to start over. But even that's part of the fun. You're learning how things come together, or sometimes how they fall apart, and you start over.Making things teaches patience. You can't rush a project or force it to look exactly like you imagined. In fact, most of the time when I'm making something, the end product looks completely different from what I envisioned at the start. You learn to let the process happen, to accept imperfections and find joy in the attempt itself. And when it's done, no matter how small, it's yours. You know every step it took to get there.I think that's why it feels so meaningful. Making something yourself isn't just about the final product. The sounds of the scissors cutting paper, spreading sunflower oil over a canvas before putting on oil paint, the hum of a printer, the way time slips by quietly and fast when you're focused on something you care about. It's one of the few times where doing feels just as good as finishing.I like that. I like that I can create, not just consume. It reminds me that effort, even small effort, adds up to something beautiful. Maybe it's just a sticker, a painting, a card or a tiny piece of decor for my desk. But I made it, and that feels enough.Kathryn Jung is a freshman from Silver Spring, MD, majoring in Biomedical Engineering. Her column reflects the process of creating and how the small things we make, notice and hold close bring meaning to everyday life.