The New Year...

Two great things I’ve heard in the last two days…
1.)
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.

So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, don’t worry that it isn’t good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you’re scared of doing, Do it.

Make your mistakes, next year and forever." – Neil Gaiman

2.)
If you’d like to become a better woodworker, then the answer isn’t making simple pieces over and over again, and contrary to popular belief, it isn’t about practicing every day- it isn’t about watching videos or reading wood working books and blogs like this one.

No, if you’d like to really become a better wood worker, ( or for that matter, get better at anything ) then do something difficult. Think about it.

If you don’t challenge yourself, and try tackling a project that seems out of reach, then how will you ever grow? How will you know if you’re capable of making that project you’ve been putting off for so long?

The one that scares you when you think about starting it- the one that you think you don’t have the skills or talent to create? You’ll never know until you try. The simple act of trying will teach you more than a years worth of practice ever will.

Practice is safe. When we practice, nine times out of ten, we get caught in the safety net of practicing what we already know. We’re all guilty of this. You already know how to cut dovetails – yet, you’ll spend time practicing them.Forget about them ! You already know how to make them.

Sure, practice for a few minutes before executing that special box for the Queen of the Universe, but if you’d really like to grow as a maker, move to the next level and try something more difficult.

Whatever you consider to be ‘more difficult‘ – go try that for awhile.

Look through a book or magazine if you have/want to, or better yet, visit a Museum or high end furniture Gallery, find something that you’d consider to be completely out of your reach and, go try making it.

Why not? What have you got to lose?
— Tom Fidgen