With a father who seemed to be the brand ambassador of DIY culture
right from the early years of 80s, and a husband who works to carry the legacy ahead, ‘do-it-yourself’ appears to be the unstated theme of my life. Surrounded
by engineers in the form of grandparents, family members, relatives and friends
– do-it-yourself (DIY) culture has chosen to influence every domain of my
existence. While the creative shade of my working cannot apprehend every aspect
of this DIY culture, a post to its name can prove as my little contribution towards
celebration of its presence.
‘A trend that believes in the power of self-dependence;
a style that highlights the benefit of performing every task by self; a culture
that prompts one to experiment, engage, experience and evolve – do-it-yourself
(DIY) is the new trendy name for doing and experiencing various kinds of task with
the power of own hands.’
Though DIY
culture had a presence in our community since several decades in the past, novelty
of today’s world and energy of newer generations have coated it with a fresh
touch. From assembling of house hold items to planning about office furniture,
from preparation of exotic restaurant-style meals in one’s kitchen to developing
a wonderful garden in the front yard, from designing clothes with respect to
latest fashion to decorating walls of the house, DIY has cast its spell in
every area of life. Depending on interests, hobbies, skills and needs, this DIY
culture can be personalized for each individual. The joy of doing tasks by self,
coupled with satisfaction of the end product appear totally interesting.
Not limited to a group
of particular age, profession, nationality or gender, do-it-yourself is practiced
by people across the globe. Offering an opportunity to enjoy the process of
creation, DIY brings each one closer to skills and talents. From planning to
shortlisting, from adding inputs to enjoying the outputs, DIY involves several
aspects that turn into the desired result. As experiences are the best teachers
of any trade, do-it-yourself pushes one towards experiments. Learning from our
mistakes, DIY can help us progress after numerous attempts.
Though every DIY
project may not reach the finish line or may encounter failure on its way, the course
of its task and route of its journey offer elements of happiness and
satisfaction. While easy availability of resources provide convenience and benefits,
it can never replace the joy of creating things by self. Wishes that originate
from the shine and gloss of a purchased greeting card can never match with the
honest love of a simple card made at home, cakes and cookies from shops around
can never offer same amount of happiness as the ones baked at home. While it is
impossible to make, prepare, create and perform every single aspect by self,
occasional encounters and frequent dates with DIY can certainly work
wonders!
Easy access to
the internet, convenient connectivity with contacts all over the globe and tremendous
progress in domains of communication have been extremely instrumental in
promotion and development of the DIY culture. From ‘how-to’ books and journals
that teach a particular activity to websites that reflect all the necessary guidance,
from virtual training videos on the internet to chat sessions with family,
friends or colleagues for a particular assignment, DIY culture has pushed its
way into our lives, leaving no scope for excuses!
So, what are the striking
features of the DIY culture?
Do they offer any unique
benefits that can transform a non-DIY fan into a DIY lover?
1.
Power to
progress: Do-it-yourself confers power in our hands, giving room for experiences,
adventures, errors and improvements.
2.
Scope for satisfaction:
DIY offers taste of satisfaction by transforming efforts into a desired end-product.
3.
Lessons to
learn: DIY prompts us to learn new aspects and develop novel skills, adding
value to our knowledge base.
4.
Joy ride
to the finish line: Entertaining till the last bit, do-it-yourself appears
as a fun-filled experience, with occasional moments of failure, doubts, excitement
and success.
5.
Interesting
fillers: DIY tasks at home come across as valuable ways to spend time,
yielding productive outcome.
Through numerous activities,
interesting means and endless ways, DIY culture is certainly here to stay. Engage
yourself in little DIY, after all doing-it-yourself is nothing but experiencing,
evolving, entertaining and enjoying yourself!
P.S: Dear Dad and husband, I wish this post on DIY can count
as my DIY project for several years from today.
Special attention husband: Hopefully, this 700 word article
will replace my contribution from any probable DIY tasks such as cleaning car,
assembling furniture and growing lemon grass for your tea!
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