Throw it in the bag!
Investing in a vision (This is not financial advice)
One of my Grandfathers was a carpenter and contractor painter. Another was a gardener and generally good with his hands. Their children each have their own crafts, trades and corresponding sets of tools. The tools I inherited were taken care of for decades and still work. The tools of our crafts or even hobbies should be the best we can get. Especially if it's something we really feel like will carry us through a time and interest us.
When I expressed wanting to DJ my mother got me a small plastic beginners DJ controller. I wore it out! When I had the money to get my own equipment I bought two dual 15 inch and two 15 inch speakers and a huge metal 4 channel mixer. I spent the entirety of a summer's learning on my tools. These tools forced me to learn how to DJ on a higher level. To get the full functionality out of them. The learned skills earned me 21x what I invested in the tools and ended up allowing me to pay for school. And when I was done with DJing I sold them and was able to recoup most of my investment from the sale. Why? Because the tools were valuable and desirable within themselves and I took good care of them.
I encourage people to get the highest quality tools they can manage to get when pursuing their vision. Physically aligning ourselves with the world we want to create for ourselves. Take calculated risks, but the biggest advantage is providing ourselves with the best tools for learning. There may be undesirable parts of our reality we don’t yet have the capacity to change or remove. But I think tools we intend to use to change our reality should be the priority. When I worked as an artist full time I bought myself a huge draftsman table that I set up in my father’s living room even though I was sleeping on a bunk bed. Everyday I used my tools. Allowing me the ability to literally touch on the highest level of my dreams every day until I would eventually move abroad alone and have my own studio.
Quality tools promote sustainability within personal practice and industry. They break less or are easier to fix which reduces time and resources needed to replace them. I talk alot about the importance of using consumer power to push manufacturers to make better things for this exact reason of true sustainability.
Engaging higher level tools will provide a sense of misalignment that wouldn’t be as clear otherwise. Shout out to my former music producing equipment that was painful to touch and look at. Consistently having this method of collecting tools has empowered me to feel okay with changing my mind. Shoot, it's even allowed me to sell or gift tools to people more aligned with the craft that would have delayed buying this level of tools for themselves. An added bonus for using well made industry standard tools is that resale value is retained. Allowing us reinvest into something with greater alignment.
The tools we choose reflect our commitment to our future selves. Whether it's a musical instrument, a drafting table, specialized software, or transportation, investing in quality isn't about status or excess—it's about creating a physical bridge between our current reality and our aspirations. When we surround ourselves with tools that embody our highest vision, we're constantly reminded of the path we've chosen. Even on difficult days when motivation wanes, these tools stand as tangible reminders of our capabilities and commitments. They create friction against settling, against abandoning our dreams when obstacles arise. The best tools don't just perform functions—they transform their users, encouraging growth, mastery, and the confidence to continue evolving. This philosophy has guided every major investment in my life, and continues to shape how I approach each new venture and vision. The quality of our tools often determines the quality of our journey.