Latvian language (one of the Baltic languages, others being Lithuanian and extinct Prussian language) has proverb (with alliterations) Darbs dara darītāju, which can be translated literally into English as work makes (does) the doer. My question is – is there the idiomatic expression/proverb with similar meaning in English?
I tried to do the exact-googling of the translated phrase "work makes the doer", but Google gives only pages from Latvia or Lithuania which mention this proverb as distinctly Latvian one with English translation only. I am fan of this proverb and I wonder – is it possible that English have no similar proverb? My guess is that English have such proverb but with different (more English-like) wording. Maybe there is even the Latin roots of this proverb? Or maybe Anglo-Saxon world have such deep cultural advancements (OxCam being the example) and such reliance on education so that such proverb is useless in English speaking cultures which rely on professional education, professionalism as opposite to the in-work skills development and growth of personality?
Growth of skills and personality through the work is the essence of the Latvian proverb. But I guess – this proverb can be applied only to such work in which the growth is possible and necessary be it the development of the motoric skills or the development of intellectual skills. If the work is monotone, without possibility to grow (in such work) then this proverb is useless.
Best Answer
"Making makes the maker" is similarly alliterated if less general, and it and variants occur a few times on the web:
"Making makes makers" https://www.theupcycler.org/
"How making makes the maker" http://www.redoakleaves.com/writing.html
"As the maker makes the made, the making makes the maker" from At Swim-Two-Birds https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/thefictionalwoods/great-epigraphs-t897-s10.html