Hello Makers,
This was a wonderful article and really tugged at the heartstrings of a woodworker who knows, lives and understands what has been said here.
[These comments refer to this article on the site: The Business of Making Furniture by Hand]
Highlights at the heartstrings:
"Living from commission to commission year after year can spoil the pleasure of creation and turn independence to bondage."
- Too many times to count, you really get to thinking, is it worth it anymore when you feel like your creativity is fading because of trends or XYZ, and not to the inkling of what you truly want to make.
"People decide to buy by their own assignment of value. An acceptable selling price is related to measurable quality, but not as firmly as we artisans would like to think."
- Such truth, it really sucks when I have to take even $50 to $100 off just to sell my already low and fair prices and pay bills. The labor behind the curtain that is not seen, if the customer only knew.
"There is no way to find success without paying the dues, but skill, originality, dedication, and long hours, while necessary, are not sufficient. Luck is required."
- Facts. I recall an old timer at the full time job that I still have while doing woodworking, saying for the most part the exact same thing. You can possess all the ingredients to be a master woodworker, but luck will give you your stage.
"We exist as a business to make people happy. If we who work and those we serve are happy and the costs are known, controlled, and respected, this business will make enough money to prosper."
- The end goal, I'm in it for the long haul too,I'm 38 and in his time George Nakashima didn't really begin "trending" until about age 43,44. Plenty of time, just keep my nose to the grindstone.
The Takeaway:
"Does this repetition make furniture making into manufacturing? Yes, in the best sense — better, faster, less cost, short lead time, on time delivery, consistency. No, in that the hand and heart of the craftsman are required to do what we do."
- There is a tool on the horizon that I am purchasing soon. From what I am truly trying to create from wood, having this tool should shave off about 4 to 5 hours of build time. Working with hand tools is romantic, I feel very connected to the wood, but we do what we need to do, and I need to do this, thanks for making the understanding as to why I need to crystal clear to me.
Conclusion:
I can tell that this was written by an intelligent human, and not AI. Speech mirrors that of my father and my grandma's 3rd husband. Both were good men, I learned a lot from them, and I learned a lot from you.
Take Care.
You're new friend from Connecticut, John Kilbourn