I’ve watched a billion hours of YouTube and I’ve noticed a common trend: Whether that’s a drawing, a video game, a song, a cake, or a whole-ass off-grid house; I’ve learned that it’s fun to watch people make something. Since the beginning of humanity, the act of slapping two rocks together to make an arrowhead or a fire will draw a crowd. I feel like mankind has an innate curiosity to pause and say “Oooh, whatcha making?” We like it when others make. This might not even be unique to humans, have you ever seen a bowerbird nest? Incredible.

The Maker Movement harnessed that creative attention energy and built an entire subculture around it. I’ve been watching the same guy make a musical marble machine for ten years. Practical effects artists Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman built their entire TV show Mythbusters around this premise. We are problem solvers, all of us. The process can often be as enjoyable as the final object. I’d go so far to say they built the empires of YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram on the same principle: it’s fun to watch (hot) people make something even if that “something” is a video about fingernails.

I harp on my kids from time-to-time about making. We’re pretty permissive about device time but I frequently try to impart that we give them these devices as tools for creativity, not just brainrot. Kids are innately creative, so they understand my intent. But black rectangles are powerful energy vampires. From time to time though I’m blessed with an artwork, animation, a short film, an overdubbed movie trailer, or a half-built Roblox game. And those go on the proverbial refrigerator in my heart.

I suppose there’s limits to this thesis. Watching someone make a murder machine wouldn’t be fun. Watching someone make war, not fun.

Watching someone make numbers by typing into the random number generator isn’t that fun. But if there’s some novel, reason, or idea behind it… you could convince me it isn’t slop. I don’t particularly find the medium of decoupage enjoyable but with the right artistic mindset, curiosity, or obsession… sure? And if a bird assembles a house from trash, well I love that.

Some like to draw thin blurry lines and some prefer to draw thick crisp lines, I love to see and read both. And I’m glad the term “slop” exists because we as a creative species created a label for the abstract idea of thoughtless outputs from a thoughtless content extruder.

So, make something. Or not. I don’t care. Actually, I do care. Please make something. With your hands, or your brain, or your feet… wait, no that has other connotations.