I built a lightsaber for my sister. I had been struggling with depression in the first half of the year after quitting my job and deciding to try freelancing.

I built a lightsaber for my sister. I had been struggling with depression in the first half of the year after quitting my job and deciding to try freelancing. I had very low motivation for anything, maybe I was trying too hard to keep myself busy by inventing problems for the sake of having something to try new web techs on (React, GraphQL, TypeScript, and more recently Rust). One summer day I found out there's a lightsaber duelling club in my hometown, and I approached them to know more (being a Star Wars fan since an early age). Joining the club got me back into sports (it's not just waving a glowing stick, there's a lot of cardio, muscular reinforcement, and a bit of meditation involved), which started to help with the focus and motivation, and re-centering my priorities. It's also a lot of fun, and the members provided kind of a social replacement for the lack of colleagues that comes with going freelance. Then I decided to build a lightsaber (as any Jedi wannabe with an engineering degree would), but not for me, for my sister for Christmas. It took me 6 months and a lot of money, mostly as investment in machinery (3D printer, and garage/workshop tools), but it was so worth it in the end. It allowed me to focus on one large project, that did not relate to a computer, and get something done as a result. It might seem like a pointless thing to do (it won't help save the world from climate change or solve the ever increasing issue of social divide), but it was something I think I needed. Some photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/i3b35NUyJLrQrnPB8 https://photos.app.goo.gl/i3b35NUyJLrQrnPB8 https://photos.app.goo.gl/Gz3iPcdRvDx4JHWG8 https://photos.app.goo.gl/Gz3iPcdRvDx4JHWG8 https://photos.app.goo.gl/D8MbBCFd1ujtHbYZA https://photos.app.goo.gl/D8MbBCFd1ujtHbYZA With this project I learned a few things: - Taking a break from toxic things is a survival necessity sometimes (in my case it was work and social networks' engineered attention-seeking mechanisms). - Sport always has more of a positive effect than we think it will have on us. - Not keeping up with the latest web tech is OK, it can be an addiction too. Merry Christmas everyone !