#Mutual Influence

The Reciprocity of Change in Every Touch

Beyond relationships, creation itself is reciprocal. Richard Sennett’s The Craftsman (2008) argues that working with materials cultivates character—patience, care, humility. Similarly, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow (1990) documents how deep engagement with a task shapes attention and desire. A potter begins to see time in drying clay and weather forecasts; soon, daily life reorganizes around kilns and glazes. The bowl is changed by the hand, and the hand—along with the maker’s habits and values—is changed by the bowl. Thus, choosing a craft is also choosing a self that the craft will craft in return. [...]

The Unique Influence of Human Connections - Jorge Luis Borges

It emphasizes the uniqueness of each person. Each individual we meet has distinct qualities and experiences that shape who they are, and in turn, influence us. [...]