One thing that really helped me learn and develop my woodworking skills was having an abundance of materials. Having an adequate supply on hand meant that it wasn't so valuable that I felt the need to be especially careful using it. This allowed me to experiment and take chances with less to lose. Failure, or more … Continue reading The Relentless Push to Fail
There's no part in [a motorcycle], no shape in [a motorcycle], that is not out of someone's mind... a person who does machining or foundry work or forge work or welding sees "steel" as having no shape at all. Steel can be any shape you want if you are skilled enough, and any shape but the one … Continue reading What Defines Form?
Start with a sketch, but make it quick. There’s real work to be done. - Stefan Hartwing (This quote has been added to my page Quotables, where you'll find many more interesting quotes.) For the past five weeks at #Woodchat on Air, we have been playing our new design game called #Woodchat's Picture Inspiration. We looked … Continue reading Week Six of #Woodchat’s Picture Inspiration!
Being a self-employed artist definitely has its benefits but it's not for everybody. David Ogilvy, the "Father of Advertising", came up with this list of what he thinks makes a good creative leader. Qualities of Creative Leaders High standards of personal ethics. Big people, without pettiness. Guts under pressure, resilience in defeat. Brilliant brains — … Continue reading Qualities of Creative Leaders
Usually, when I find a TED Talk that I enjoy, I add it to my list of favourite TED Talks and do nothing more. Jay Silver's talk, Hack a banana, make a keyboard! resonates so strongly with me, I am sharing it with you on my blog. I think what Jay's son does with building blocks and … Continue reading Being Creative Involves Unlearning and Rethinking
Many woodworkers are technically skilled and able to create an item exactly as detailed in a plan. Some lack the willingness to take risks and push the boundaries. Technical skills are important, but they only get you so far. Creativity and problem solving are key skills for anyone making original work. For me, design is … Continue reading Roll With It
Last weekend, I attended a private gathering of 40 of Port Moody's top artists. To help everyone get to know each other, we were given an activity. We were each given a list with everyone's name and we were to say "hi" to everyone else and share two words that represent an inspiration to us. … Continue reading Inspiration, in a Word
The purpose of PechaKucha is to share ideas and inspire and encourage discussion. To assist in their talks, presenters use twenty slides, each twenty seconds long. PechaKucha Nights are held in over 600 cities world-wide (click to find one nearby). TED (technology, education, design) talks are similar, but with less structure. Like PechaKucha, TED talks occur around … Continue reading How About an Inspirational Talk?
While preparing for my presentation at PechaKucha Night (which is tomorrow, doors at 6:30, show at 7:30 pm, tickets $12 at the door) I found some new quotes which I have added to my page titled Quotables. Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep. - Scott Adams Out … Continue reading New Quote Added to “Quotables”
I think that this quote is very applicable to my Tweet Alongs (not so much Child's Loft Bed as the others), in which I enter each new step with little or no prior planning. Don’t think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It’s self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can’t try to do things. … Continue reading New Quote Added to “Quotables”
Sculptural Woodwork by Chris Wong 