Part of what makes us human is our desire to create, and when it comes to breathing – woodworking helps alleviate my stress and free my mind. In contrast to my life at college, I enjoy woodworking because it serves as a way to channel my negative thoughts into something tangible. Often times I’ll get in over my head with coursework at school, so I really love the alter-ego aspect of hiding away and crafting something to help cool me down when things get too heavy. When I’m finished making whatever it is that I’m working on, the satisfaction of looking at something as a reflection of myself is almost chilling. Therefore, I’m a woodworker because I’m addicted to the process of turning negative thoughts into positive reflections of my frantic delirium. The images included in this blog are pictures of my most recent work.

Like anything, time was required to bolster my skills, but during the time of little experience I learned how to be patient after watching many projects fail to the haste of just wanting to get things done. When I first began woodworking I was very eager to just finish projects, so along the way I was lacking detail. It wasn’t until many projects later that I started to get into the groove of woodworking, so eventually I realized that there was more to art than just getting it done.

My favorite method of woodworking lies in wood turning because it’s incredible what you can create from just a spinning block of wood. For those who are unfamiliar with wood turning, a chisel and a lathe are required to carve your spinning block of wood, so the smell of fresh wood is constantly flowing throughout the air while you chip away at your rotating project. I think this is my favorite method of woodworking because my mind almost becomes numb when I’m working on a project. I really like this feeling because nothing else in that moment matters, except my work. It’s almost primitive, yet therapeutic.

Ultimately, I’m fascinated by things that spin, which is ironic because I don’t like rides that spin at amusement parks. In the image above is an interactive medicine cabinet that operates on a basic pulley system. When you pull down on the red handle that is attached to the black wire you are then able to open the door to the cabinet. The wheels and knobs that were used to create the pulley system were turned on a lathe. I suppose you could call it “wood that works?”

I like making projects that move or at least create the illusion of movement because wood is such a solid material, so I think it’s interesting when you can make it function.

Woodworking for me is more than just a hobby, it’s something I feel passionately about because when I’m in the shop – I make the assignments.

I truly believe woodworking helps keep me grounded because all I ever feel is a continual need to build something, and when I can’t do it with pen and paper, I use wood.

Therefore, woodworking is one of the things I do to help me breathe and live a positive life, which is why I think finding an outlet is important for everyone.