I’m building a dollhouse from scratch. (The photo is of my foyer–the only complete room I’ve finished.) I’ve always wanted to try it. However, I’m not a carpenter, so I’m working with cardboard and things around my house. It’s a challenge.
Checking out YouTube for help and ideas, I discovered channels with thousands of subscribers and views. I’m not alone in this endeavor. What’s the fascination with miniatures? Is it the ultimate god fantasy? When we were kids listening to the myths of a higher intelligence molding this world out of nothing and populating it with tiny creatures that could be observed from an all-encompassing perspective, did we immediately form an attachment to that particular form of creation?
In a sense, writing fiction is a tangent of this world/house building. Perhaps it is human nature to take control of our world to create new ones within it.
This creative urge used to be satisfied by playing all the versions of The Sims before creating custom content became so difficult. At least, with Sims, the individuals who lived in my fantasy world were visible and not completely controllable. With a dollhouse, there are no inhabitants, unless I make a doll that won’t do anything but remain where I place it. (Which is sadly realistic for some of us, if you think about it.)
Even so, it is strangely entertaining building recognizable living quarters and items out of things in my kitchen junk drawer. For the first time in my life, I regret throwing away so many things. Bottle caps and packaging items have new uses. Everything in my house I’m seeing through the eyes of this new endeavor.
It requires patience and progress is slow. I have a new level of appreciation for the miniaturists out there. These are people with incredible focus.
