So I’ve been on Instructables for years. Browsing, trying stuff, saving recipes you name it. However, it’s a weird site in that I’ve also spent months digging for information, finding unrelated stuff, finding things I needed years ago but that aren’t useful now etc. essentially it’s a pile of some of the best library books on Earth but organized such that it’s really hard to find what I am personally looking for. Here is what I’ve done with it, and with other sites that let me save pdfs and files of DIY how-tos, like Allrecipes or whatever:
Make a bunch of computer files labeled with fields of my interest, such as:
Solar technology
Rainwater technology
Vegan cooking
Makeup
and so on. Then, and I should have done this from the get-go but now I’m going to have to go back through and copypaste files into other folders, then delete the ones on the outside so as to have minimum file corruption (sigh): subdivide each folder. So then it would look like:
Solar Technology, with the file including: Solar Cookers, Passive Solar Heating, Passive Solar Cooling, Suncatchers, Fresnel Lenses, and whatever else I want to add
Rainwater Technology, file including: Rain Barrels, Drip Irrigation, Swales, Rainwater Harvesting, etc.
Vegan Cooking, file including: Breakfasts, Sides, Main Dishes, Snacks & Appetizers, Drinks, etc.
Makeup, file including: Eyes, Lips, Cheeks, Skincare, etc.
Subdividing each file further might be necessary over time.
Then I like to fill each up over time with pdfs and screenshots and images and such from the Internet. Instructables is a helpful place for all of these things. It’s important to sort whatever you search for by “all posts” so you find everything, not just what’s featured as that makes you miss a lot of cool stuff.
Another really helpful way to go about it is that if someone has made a super helpful Instructable before, check out their profile and bookmark it. Then go through and save pdfs from that person’s work.
Also: Make yourself a workspace of some sort. Right now, I have several of these: kitchen table, my desk, and surely the laptop and my planner count. I’ve gotten more stuff done with these things than without them. They’re kind of my artist’s studio, workshop, and makerspace all in one.
Here’s how I would organize literally all of the stuff from the Internet and Instructables and all libraries if I could wave a magic wand and change it up… (work in progress just like various other posts on this blog!)
SOLVING SPECIFIC PROBLEMS IN YOUR LIFE (unique to each person, my problems would probably not be yours)
FOOD: Farming, Cooking, Preserving
WATER: Rainwater Technology, Water Preservation, Plumbing
AIR: Purification, Forestry, Reduction of CO2 Footprint
SHELTER AND CLOTHING: Machine Sewing, Knitting, Masonry, Bricklaying, Construction
LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS: Communication, Etiquette, Valentines, Gifts
BEAUTY AND HYGIENE: DIY Makeup, DIY Skincare
WOODCRAFTS: Whittling, Carpentry, Basketry, Coppicing
FORGE STUFF: Blacksmithing, Machining, Pottery, Glassblowing, Vehicle Repair, Repair
PARENTING: Pregnancy, Babies, Toddlers, Kids, Preteens, Teens, Adult Children
SELF-DEFENSE: Legal Stuff, Self-Defense Courses, First Aid, Safe Gun Ownership. Emphasis here on safe. If you aren’t willing to take the lessons on how to have a concealed carry, get a concealed carry license, clear background checks, regularly practice at a gun range, have and use a gun safe, and go through all sorts of classes on how to properly handle a weapon as well as treat any wounds caused by it, it’s more dangerous to both your family and yourself to have one than to not have one. Be honest with yourself; get whatever weapons you can handle instead if you need to (e.g. taser, pepper spray).
PETS: Dogs, Cats, Exotic Pets
HEALTH: Mental Health, Physical Health – note – this can get really involved, Exercise
RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY: Your business
Cool thing here is that you can do whatever you want to organize this stuff for you. I hope you try Instructables and other sites like it. Library books and Instructables (and Allrecipes, and other places) and trying stuff from them IRL have made my life better in every single portion of it.
This process is somewhat related to my research process, which I’ll explain at some point.
New Book of Days 
Leave a comment