How it Started

Learning woodworking in a blue-collar house, the focus is often on practical application rather than theoretical knowledge. This approach allows for immediate feedback and real-time learning, where mistakes become valuable lessons and successes build confidence. 

You’re not doing it for fun or because it’s trendy; you’re doing it because you need a damn table that doesn’t collapse when you bump into it. You don’t get a manual or a set of pristine tools. Nah, you get a beat-up workbench, and a mix of ancient, half-rusted tools. The basement is poorly lit the air’s thick with the scent of laundry detergent and dry sheets masking the odor of heating oil spilled under the oil tank. Mistakes? Yeah, you’ll make them and every mistake you make feels like a slap in the face but in a good way, because it means you’re learning.

Every cut and splinter a reminder that you’re creating something with your own two hands. It’s not about perfection; and when you finally stand back and see that finished piece, sturdy and rough around the edges, you realize you’ve crafted something more than just furniture. You’ve carved out a little piece of survival, a testament to grit and sheer necessity.