It’s an “us” thing!
Who’s behind DoaM?
If you’ve found your way over here, you already know a bit about Diary of a Maker™. Here’s a bit more about the person behind it.
That’d be me, Jonathan Fields.
Many folks know me as the host and co-executive producer of the long-running, top-ranked Good Life Project® podcast. The show has been listened to and watched over 100-million times in the 14 or so years we’ve been producing it. I’m a little gobsmacked when I see numbers like that (the line from Sally Fields in Punchline still runs through my head in disbelief, “they like me, they really like me,” and I have trouble buying it).
Even more, I feel just straight up blessed. Over that same time, I’ve written a bunch of bestselling and award-winning books. And, I still dread the moment at mixers when someone asks, “have I read anything you’ve written?” Though, to be fair, as a quieter introvert, I kind of dread most moments as most mixers lol! I feel like a lot of us makers are the same.
Along the way, I’ve founded a handful of companies, taught everything from yoga and indoor cycling to mindfulness, entrepreneurship, and branding. And I’ve seen my work featured everywhere from The New York Times, FastCompany, Inc., and The Wall Street Journal to Oprah Magazine, Outside, How, Reader’s Digest, SELF, Elle, Vogue, a lot of podcasts, and a bunch of other fancy sounding places that make my mom proud (and my daughter roll her eyes).
But, there’s something else…
The deeper truth is much simpler, and tons less fancy.
I’m a dad, husband, and lifelong maker…who spent decades forgetting how to be one.
I mean, I made a lot of stuff, but I also walked away from making things you could touch and feel. Things that existed in the real world. Things I made with my hands, and pretty much any kind of raw materials that weren’t nailed down.
It’s funny, right?
When we were kids, we all knew this primal language of creation, a shoebox became a scene, clay became a pot, pencils, paint, and markers became a vision. Making things was just, well, Tuesday. It was how we expressed our sense of identity and style, and felt totally alive.
Then, life shifted. In the rush of "adulting," screens and deadlines took over, and we traded our maker's soul for the endless scroll. I fell into that trance, too. Sure, I’d built companies and brands with my mind, but my hands became strangers to my heart. That quiet ache, that silent suffering of disconnection, was always there. I was mourning it, without realizing where the low-grade grief was coming from.
The turning point, at least for me?
Just build it…
A profound, joyful experience in my 50s, working side-by-side with a luthier, or master guitar builder, to craft my very own guitar. That single immersive journey, getting my hands dirty, brought me back home. It was a moment of clarity that reminded me how fundamentally human it is to shape raw materials into something real. And how I needed it back in my life.
It took years (honestly, still very much a work in progress), but that moment lit the fire that would eventually spark Diary of a Maker™. It’s not a project; it’s a reclamation.
In a world increasingly driven by screens and machines, deliverables and deadlines, and now AI and algorithms, where it’s getting harder to tell who we are, what truly matters, and what’s real.
The simple act of physical making is an act of resistance. An anchor to authenticity. It's about finding that peace and presence again.
It’s about remembering a profound, essential truth…
Your hands remember what your mind has forgotten
Diary of a Maker was the fun name I gave to my own, personal quest to return to craft.
To make working with my hands a bigger part of my life again. And, the more I did it, the more I wanted it to be central in my life. To go out and learn from others, document the experience, share the journey in a compelling way, and invite others into it.
Diary of a Maker is my invitation to come home to craft. An invitation, and an invocation. Here’s what we’ll explore together:
Share in my Personal Journey: I share my adventure back to making in my monthly, immersive Diary of a Maker newsletter. I’ll be trying my hand at everything from woodworking and metal-smithing to painting, fiber arts, even chocolate-making and more. I’m documenting the whole process, the successes, the fumbles and face-plants, and the sheer joy of learning with a beginner's mind.
The Maker's Studio: I’ll be traveling the world, sitting down with extraordinary craftspeople, artisans, and builders. We’ll film intimate, lush mini-docs, inviting you into their studios. You’ll learn their origin stories, defining moments, and watch them work, and teach us a little of their craft. Think Chef’s Table for makers.
The Diary of Maker Collective: We're growing a global community of big-hearted, maker-curious humans. You don’t need to call yourself an artist, or have any experience. This isn't about perfection. It’s about presence, curiosity, and play. Reconnecting with the childlike wonder of making. And sharing the journey.
It’s time to power down our devices, power up our imaginations and hands, and bring ourselves back to life.
Be sure to subscribe to the FREE monthly Diary of a Maker newsletter below. This is where we’ll keep you up to date with all the fun elements, from immersive photo-essay and videos to invitations to come along for the ride.