I’ve been on Twitter and Reddit. The rumors have spoken. Everything in nerd culture is a failure.
Yet am I foolish for blowing into the cooling embers of hope? What if there was a niche corner of nerd-dom that would allow nerds to almost “meditate,” grabbing a much needed respite from the social media tsunami swirling around them? What if there was a relaxing nerd hobby, in other words?
I stumbled into Hirst molds because I was a nerd looking for a relaxing creative outlet. The nerd part of me drove the research, which drove me further and further down the Hirst rabbit hole. And the creative outlet side is still a work in progress, yet I can 100% confirm the relaxation outcome. So let me introduce you to Hirst.
Hirst Arts is owned and operated by Bruce and Joanne Hirst. They make high quality rubber molds by hand that allow nerds like us to create little bricks, blocks, and pieces to use to build fantasy terrain and buildings. You pour plaster into the molds, wait a few minutes, then pop them out, giving you homemade “fantasy LEGOS.”
Bruce Hirst has a treasure horde of projects on the Hirst Arts website, ranging from castles to caverns to village buildings and even some science fiction. You follow his step-by-steps instructions, buying molds to fit that particular project, or you can go wild and create plaster blocks to create your own design.
Let Me Walk You Through the Hirst Process
I love the process of pouring Hirst molds, then crafting terrain. It’s creative, it’s relaxing, and it’s satisfying.
I’m not good at it. I spotted a million things to “fix” with my ruined tower. It takes time, even if you are laid back about it and fit it in the cracks of life. I don’t have anywhere to store the stuff, nor do I know how often I’ll actually use the terrain.
But I don’t care about any of that. I loved the process, the art and the getting my hands dirty of it all. I can’t recommend it more highly. It’s not an “easy in” but if Hirst Arts sounds like the kind of hobby you’ve been jonesing for, pour yourself into it.