Learning a New “Simple” Skill is an Exercise in Patience and Humility

“Those “simple” skills are time consuming and kinda hard to do by hand, aren’t they?” I said to my husband one Sunday afternoon, after he’d spent several hours mending a hole in his jeans by hand-sewing a patch on the denim. It took several hours because he had to remove the stitches and resew the patch more than once to get it right. As I watched him work and rework his denim patch job, I was reminded of the struggles I’ve had lately as I’ve taken on an old-fashioned skill: bread making. 

Since moving to a small town several months ago, I’ve gotten into a few new “simple” home skills, like trying to learn to make bread from scratch, emphasis on trying. So far, I’ve burnt a loaf, made a loaf with flour that I didn’t realize was rancid until after I baked it and noticed an odd smell (thank goodness I can ask Google questions and get an answer back in seconds!), made a loaf that tasted excellent, but didn’t rise properly so I ended up with a flat, wide loaf (like a focaccia), and started a small fire in my oven *FACEPALM*

Learning to bake my own bread is definitely a humbling experience. I feel like a beginner cook who can’t even boil water, but even though I feel it, I know that’s not true. I’ve cooked for what feels like forever. I grew up in the kitchen with my dad and grandma, and while they both made a plethora of things, neither baked their own bread from scratch (my dad baked with a bread machine, but since that mostly creates fail proof bread, I’m not counting it). 

When it comes to acquiring new skills and growing, I’ve heard personal growth gurus say something along the lines of “are you humble enough to suck for as long as it takes to get better?” And that’s what I’ve been trying to embrace while figuring out this bread baking thing. 

I’m going to keep pushing forward with my bread baking, not just for the sense of accomplishment I’ll feel when I finally get a beautiful, artisanal loaf. I’m also doing so due to the price of a loaf of bread these days (yikes!) and a homemade loaf is healthier, since it has 6-7 ingredients, versus the store bought kind that contains roughly double the amount of ingredients, many of which are of questionable quality. 

What are some new skills you’re learning now, or have tried in the past that have been a humbling experience? Did you push past the discomfort of feeling like you’re no good until you gained enough experience and knowledge to actually feel competent? I’d love to hear about your experience, so share in the comments or reach out to me on social media!