Steve Weintz comments on our thread about political leaders as recreational painters:
The psychological underpinnings of those who attain the 'commanding heights' are always of great interest, and play in all its forms provides a special window into the mind.
An anecdote: Churchill also delighted in bricklaying and built an number of structures at his home of Chartwell. A good friend of mine, now a retired stonemason and bricklayer, was once introduced to Helmut Schmidt, the former Chancellor of West Germany, and found to his astonishment that the Chancellor was an avid amateur bricklayer. They had a long and engaging conversation on the subject, and my friend felt his good opinion of Chancellor Schmidt, developed only from news reports, was indeed correct.