Made for the Sake of Making: Evan Monsma

Evan Monsma advocates for a new way of making things: as therapy, to grow as a person, and—especially nowadays—a method of showing ourselves what we think instead of letting a machine tell us. His creating process does not follow any specific thought process, but instead flows like water from one iteration to the next. This allows for a very open mind while working, and sometimes leads to interesting side-projects.

This mid-20’s YouTuber has elevated tinkering to a fine art, and documents his journey from idea to idea, while never letting the dust settle on old projects. For instance, one of his most popular projects sprouted from a very simple idea. Evan wanted to find a use for his old drill batteries, and his cameras kept dying. He decided to take matters into his own hands and create a modular system of components that allowed old DeWalt and Bauer drill batteries to be attached to cameras, video monitors, and anything else that runs on battery. Literal consolidation of power! In line with his vision for everybody to tinker, he has made the files free to download to create your own adapter: DeWalt/Bauer 20V Battery Box.

Another popular innovation of his is a continuation of the previous invention. After creating a universal battery system for his power tools and video gear, Evan realized that he could also make a universal rig for mounting his own 3D-printed attachments to his camera. Instead of buying expensive support rails that vary in size and drain your bank account, he developed a similar system using 1/2-inch copper tubing which is readily available at any hardware store, and is easier to clamp to when using custom made attachments.

While his creation of a universal, DIY power system is awesome, it is only the tip of the iceberg regarding his creations. One more example of his tendency to tinker is a cheap version of a $100+ camera attachment which he made just to see if it could be done. Shown in the below image is what’s normally referred to as a “speedbooster” which performs the task of expanding the output from a camera lens to use a larger lens on a smaller camera sensor. The primary materials used were a magnifying glass lens, some old scrap lens parts, and some scrap wood. To watch the video, click here.

Behind all of his videos is a man ready to create something not only for the satisfaction of a job being well done, but a job being done well. No decision is given too much weight, and the priority is that the process of creation reflects how we think as a person and allows us to give order to our lives by being willing to investigate that which irks us and that which might be slightly below the standards that we have set. If you’d like to look more into his content, his YouTube channel: @EvanMonsma offers valuable insight into the nature of creating and what role it offers us as a tool.