You might have noticed I call this place Remade By Hand. Or that I refer to remakeability and remakeables now and then. Perhaps you are wondering what these things mean.
Well, I made up a couple of them, based on this community’s name and purpose. I wanted to express something for which no English word exists:
Remakeability (n): the quality or state of being remakeable
Remakeable (adj): able to be remade by hand
(n): a person who embraces the idea that s/he can remake herself by hand
(n): a thing that can be remade by hand
Remade By Hand, however, is a carefully crafted phrase that will take some explaining. Let’s dissect the parts and then build the meaning back up. That should make the terms above a bit clearer.
Re + made
make (v): “to bring into existence by shaping or changing material, combining parts, etc.”; “to produce; cause to exist or happen; bring about”; “to cause to be or become; render”
re (prefix): “‘again’, or ‘again and again’”
Combine the two, and you get remake: “to make again or anew.” To make again: to take something that already exists and use it to craft something else. That nod to what’s already here is crucial. We need not throw out the old in order to remake. In fact, without a something to start from, we’d only be making.
What can be make anew? Anything, really: habits, attitudes, actions, things. We can remake ourselves from who we are today into whatever we desire to become. We can remake our physical environments, our bodies, our relationships with others — anything at all.
(It’s important to note that I am not talking about the sort of superficial makeover that has enthralled the modern world. Remakeability runs much deeper than that. It is deep transformation, true evolution, ongoing and genuine and fulfilling.)
Of course, remaking takes work, effort, and focus — but each moment is an opportunity for growth.
By Hand
by hand (idiom): “by using the hands, as opposed to machines”
That’s the dictionary meaning.
But by hand means much more than its literal definition covers. It implies an investment of time and care. It involves mindfulness and consciousness as opposed to automaticity or mechanization. It produces something unique, personal, and deliberate. It provides the how for the process of remaking.
Ta-da!
Put it all together and you get Remade By Hand. These three little words embody the outlook I, as a dedicated remakeable, strive to embrace:
That I can consciously, mindfully create anew any facet of my life so that it better reflects the self I choose to be. That this journey is my own; that I am taking it on purpose, with deliberate steps; that I need not discard my past or present self in order to make it.
If this mindset resonates with you, I invite you to embrace it as well, or to create your own version of it. (You can even share it with me, if you’re willing!)
Camaraderie for the Ever-Evolving
I created this community as a gathering place for likeminded remakeables, for people who aspire to ongoing learning, who are committed to their own continuing evolution.
It can be a lonely road when complacency and indifference surround you. I hope you’ll find some camaraderie, empathy, and support in this amazing Remade By Hand community.
I invite you to make yourself at home here, in the company of remakeables like you.
