Reaching My Peak At Age 12

Hey — it’s James,

We’re all makers of some kind. Some make food, others make websites. Isn’t that the essence of being human? That we create, we produce?

I like the word “Maker.” Maybe because I see myself as one, maybe because I romanticize the idea of “making things.” It’s a word that resonates deeply. I’m sure you have words like that too — words you don’t just hear, but feel.

I identify as a Maker, even though most of what I make today is digital. When I think about my ideal life, it’s a mix of digital and analog making — something like websites in the morning, furniture in the afternoon.

So, I’m on a quest to include more analog making into my life.

Reaching My Peak at 12

There was a time when I was all about analog. At 12, I hit my peak as a Maker. The one thing I loved making above all else was domino runs.

I could spend hours building them, completely in the zone. I was in a flow state long before Mihály Csíkszentmihályi (then Cal Newport) popularized it. I guess that’s one of the perks of being a kid (though I’m not sure it applies to the iPhone/iPad generation).

I loved mixing dominoes with other toys — marbles, trains — always trying to make the most original runs. It was never perfect; something always went wrong. The only vestige of my domino-making days is this crappy, but funny, video ↓

You can clearly hear my disappointment at 1:06 when I say “Meeerde” 😂 

On a side note, I had no idea how to translate “parcours de domino” into English. I thought domino trail might work, but ChatGPT suggested domino run or domino chain were more common. A quick Google Trends search confirmed it:

Aside from ChatGPT being right, it saddens me to see that domino runs have declined in popularity. I remember watching those crazy domino runs on YouTube, the ones that made it into the Guinness World Records.

Side Projects

Besides dominoes, I loved doing experiments. Growing up in the countryside gave me the space and freedom to try all sorts of things. My favorite experiment? Rockets!

The closest I ever got to space was with a water bottle and a cycling pump. My sadistic side even put snails in the bottle, sending them on “missions to the moon.”

And thankfully, I never succeeded in building my own patator (potato cannon) — otherwise, I might’ve ended up in jail.

Let me know what your area of expertise was at 12, and send me proof 🤓

Cheers!

Bits

• Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, who I mentioned earlier, coined the term “flow state.” Here’s his TED talk: Flow, the secret to happiness.

• To stay on theme, Cal Newport is one of my favorite non-fiction authors. He wrote two bestsellers which I highly recommend: Deep Work & Digital Minimalism. You can also follow his essays on his Study Hacks Blog.