Is there an English word that describes the process or time spent finding your own materials and/or tools to produce a work?
For example, what would you call all of the following similar processes?
- Becoming a master (in medieval guild systems) required crafting a masterpiece using your own tools and materials
- Making a Wiccan wand requires finding your own branch and materials
- Earning a doctorate requires doing your own research and findings to produce a thesis or dissertation
The term "rite of passage" comes to mind, but that's more associated with an event or ceremony for a life transition.
Edit: Using it in a sentence could be "I'm ______ a masterpiece/wand/dissertation" if a verb or "It is a requirement to ______ to become a master/wiccan/doctorate."