Why Making With Your Hands Still Matters in a Digital World

Yesterday I was scrolling through my phone, paused on the tenth carousel of perfect images, and realised — I hadn’t made anything at all today.  Not drawn anything or even written anything by hand, I’d not even made a meal (lucky me you might think). It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently; I have a deep, human pull toward making things with my hands but so much of my life is digital.  I know that it’s so important for my own mental health to take time to make but it regularly slips to the bottom of the to do list and I don’t prioritise it.

In a world that is increasingly digital, fast and screen-led, making something with your hands can feel quietly radical. Many of us spend our days clicking, scrolling and consuming, moving quickly from one thing to the next without ever fully stopping. Creativity, particularly hands-on creativity, offers something different. It needs us to slow down, to focus, and to be present in a way that modern life rarely encourages.  As AI generated images become more visible on platforms like Instagram, it can be harder to tell what is real, what is staged and what has never existed beyond Canva. This is why process images from artists and makers matter more than ever, I love seeing how something has been made. Seeing hands at work, materials mid-transformation and work in progress reminds us that creativity is human and imperfect.  These glimpses of real making reveal that meaning is found not just in what we create, but in how we create it.  It’s why we all love a back stage tour too!

Making with your hands is not about producing perfect outcomes, there’s no joy in that. When we work with physical materials, whether clay, fabric, paint or paper, our attention shifts from the abstract to the tangible. When my hands lead, my mind follows, and the constant mental noise begins to quieten. This connection between hand and mind is deeply human and has been part of how we learn, communicate and understand the world for thousands of years.  Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, known for his work on flow, described this focused creative state as one in which people are “so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter”. That feeling of being fully absorbed, of time passing unnoticed, is something many people recognise when they are making, I know I do. It is restorative precisely because it removes us, briefly, from the pressures of constant decision-making and digital input.

Creativity also offers something deeper than relaxation. It builds confidence and a sense of agency. When you make something with your hands, you see evidence of your own capability. Even when something does not go to plan, there is learning in the doing. As author and activist Maya Angelou famously said, “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” Creativity grows through use, not perfection, and it belongs to everyone, not just those who consider themselves artistic.

For many adults, being creative is something that quietly falls away over time. Life becomes busy, responsibilities multiply, and taking time to make for fun can start to feel indulgent or unnecessary. Yet returning can be deeply rewarding, it’s a chance to reconnect with curiosity, play and experimentation. Making alongside others opens space for conversation, encouragement and shared experience, reminding us that creativity is as much social as it is personal.

This is where programmes like Brewhouse LEARN play such an important role. They create space for people to step away from screens and into hands-on learning, without pressure or expectation. They recognise that creativity is not just about skill-building but about wellbeing, community and confidence. In a digital world that rarely pauses, choosing to make something with your hands is a way of reclaiming time, attention and joy. So, I’m off to book myself a workshop! Now what to choose…..