Do you follow anyone who makes things?

I came to a shocking realisation today. Of all the blogs I read and people and companies I follow on Twitter, not one of them makes actual, physical things.

Many of those I choose to follow are creative and often inspiringly so - that's why I follow them - but they make presentations, strategies, beautiful visuals, publications and software. Not one creates things that I can touch, or hold, or feel. High quality engineering is inspiring to me, so how the hell did that happen? The best software or graphic in the world still can't match a beautifully engineered, physical, thing.

If your reading list looks similar (and I'll bet it does for a high proportion of marketing people) then I think we should be collectively ashamed of ourselves. Creative? We're living in a world of strategies and PowerPoint; that's not creative.

For me, this is a work thing. @Data_monkey and my feed reader are used almost solely for marketing and both are distinctly lacking in connections to the physical world. Outside work, I spent a very satisfying day yesterday dismantling, cleaning and reassembling a motorcycle, which is probably what's inspired this post.

It's time to swing the balance back a little. Triumph Motorcycles are a new client, so @TriumphOfficial is my first proper engineering follow. Proper engineering looks something like this. Beautiful isn't it?