This content originally appeared on Go Make Things and was authored by Go Make Things
I used to love this industry, and I do still love many of wonderful people in it. But as we’ve shifted from a craft to industrialization, everything I loved about the work itself has died.
I’m constantly wondering, “What would I do next if I wasn’t in tech anymore?”
And I keep coming up short.
Trade & Craft
I plan to keep riding the tech train for as long as possible, but treat it like a trade rather than a personality the way folks in plumbing or carpentry do with their work.
That doesn’t mean you stop caring about the craft.
The electricians who wired our house were exceptional craftspeople. The cables running out of our panel are neatly lined up, and each one is labelled before going into the panel so you know exactly what it’s for and which breaker its connected to.
The runs inside the walls are straight and well thought-out. There’s an extra loop of cable at each junction box so that if someone accidentally pulls too hard, it doesn’t damage anything.
A generous amount of cable was left in the boxes themselves so you have room to work when connecting things.
Our electricians did good work that they can feel proud of.
Your job is not your personality
Unlike the tech industry, most trade workers don’t turn their craft into a personality. It’s a job.
They show up, do good work, go home, and spend time on other things that bring them joy. Family. Hobbies. Travel. Food.
But because our industry is filled with so many creative, we expect passion and meaning around the work we do. Stories of passion and craft and lifelong dedication are fetishized in tech and design spaces.
And when you stop feeling that passion, like I have, you get hit with this massive sense of loss and rudderlessness and existential dread.
Who am I if the work that used to drive me no longer brings me joy?
Our emotional attachment to work is, I’ve come to believe, deeply unhealthy.
As someone with ADHD, it’s good to enjoy the work you do. It makes it a lot easier. I still love the craft of building for the web. I’m good at it, and its fun.
But I don’t need to be derive passion or meaning from it. It can just be a thing I do well.
Shoutout to the Tradies episode of Bluey…
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This content originally appeared on Go Make Things and was authored by Go Make Things
Go Make Things | Sciencx (2026-04-27T14:30:00+00:00) Tradies. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2026/04/27/tradies/
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