Notes From the Shop

Issue 6, December

Hi ,

Well, that happened. We’ve made it to the end of 2020.

Last week, Chad and I had a meeting to discuss the direction we’d like to see our podcast take. We brainstormed things we’d like to try, guests we’d like to invite, as well as the overall structure of the show, and agreed that continuing to let it evolve organically is a good approach. But the most important consideration was to Keep Moving Forward.

I thought about 2020 and the power of those three words. Keep Moving Forward. I want it to be a mantra in 2021. Moving forward is about focusing attention on things we can control, setting goals, and making plans to achieve them. Instead of wallowing in the frustration and craziness of 2020, we acknowledge the past and use it as a tool to help guide us into the future.

I recently got a note from Devon who got laid off from his job earlier in the year. He said that he fell into a bout of depression for a couple of months “fueled on by spending more and more time on social media and its rabbit hole of negativity”. In July he decided he needed something better to occupy his time and began cleaning out his garage. “I just wanted something to kill time. It was a monumental task, but something I could measure progress each day.” Among the clutter were a few power tools he hadn’t used in years, and an idea struck him.

He traded in the endless scrolling of Twitter and Facebook feeds for what he called a “newfound obsession/mania with woodworking videos”. He set up a small area of the garage as a shop space, bought a few new tools, and started building. His first project was the Basic Mobile Workbench, and he’s been building ever since. Now he’s talking to his wife about expanding his corner of the garage. Keep Moving Forward, Devon!

Throughout this year I’ve seen so many examples of people moving forward. More people than ever have taken up woodworking and spent time setting up new workshops. I’ve seen you build your first projects and set goals for amazing new projects. I’ve seen long-time woodworkers tackling new challenges. We Keep Moving Forward.

Do you enjoy spending hours researching and shopping for tools you dream about? Do you get caught up watching video after video about new joinery techniques you want to try? Will this be your first year to give friends and family gifts that you’ve made? Way to go! Moving forward is a great antidote to the depression, frustration, fatigue, exhaustion, and anger that we’ve all experienced this year. Keep. Moving. Forward.

***

Looking for gift ideas? Oh, we’ve got lots! A few weeks ago I set up a photo album and invited you to contribute your projects. In the album, you’ll find some awesome ideas that should keep you busy in your own Santa’s Workshop. And if you have any gift projects you’d like to upload, please do! It’s really fun browsing through all of them.

***

BTW, if you haven’t listened to my new podcast, Chad and Steve Have A Podcast, give it a listen! You can listen everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Last week we had a conversation with Matthias Wandel that you will definitely enjoy. I’m sure many of you are fans of his work.

Have a great month,
Steve