There is a quote from Charles Dickens that says, “A thing created is loved before it exists,” and I could not agree more wholeheartedly with that sentiment. There are many different ways that a person can express themselves through the act of creating. Whether through a brush and canvas, skillfully stringing words together to create beautiful poetry, playing a musical instrument, or building something with their hands. As both a musician and a builder, I can feel the difference between listening back to something I wrote and looking at something I built, but both bring me a deep sense of joy and accomplishment. Unlike music, building came later in life for me.
Growing up, I never would have believed it was possible that building would be something I could do. I watched my grandfather build his own home and even his airplane, and it seemed that anything he could imagine in his mind, he could build with his hands. I, unlike my very capable brothers, was the kid who was not to be trusted with power tools and could barely handle a drill without messing something up. When I was in my early 30s, however, I decided to try my hand at building a barn door for my bedroom. I was instantly hooked by the almost meditative quality of being in the garage, building… CREATING something from nothing other than a pile of raw materials. With only a few basic tools to my name and no skills, I was really doing this. With each piece of wood added, I would sand the edges smooth, feel the grain of what was once a live tree, and in front of my very eyes, I watched my creation come to life.
After I built my first door, I realized there was no end to what would be possible if I could just learn how to do it. So I built a coffee table, then a new bathroom vanity, and then a full China hutch. I watched endless YouTube videos to learn how to build cabinets, drawers, how to cut molding, and how to join materials together. I worked in my dusty garage, cussing and screaming at the sky because I cut pieces too short or at the wrong angle….over and over… mistake after mistake. I ruined entire pieces of very expensive wood by using the wrong nails or cutting with the wrong saw blade. I made sawdust, so much sawdust, and with that I learned… little by little, piece by piece. I got better and refined my skills, and with each new skill, I built upon the last. If I could build a cabinet box, I figured, I could build almost anything for my home. Over the years since building my first barn door, I have gone on to build my wife her dream library, a fireplace wall, our entire kitchen, and countless other projects.
The single biggest skill I have gained in all of this is the ability to push through the discouraging times of feeling like I was in over my head—the times when I was stuck and didn’t know what to do. There’s always another YouTube video that will show me what to do, and there’s always more sawdust to make. In the end, when I look at my creation, all of the mistakes and frustrations are forgotten because what stands before me is something that didn’t exist until my hands brought it to life. If you have ever wanted to build something but are afraid to try because you’re afraid you’ll fail or make a mistake, please do it anyway. Need some help on how to get started? Give me a call, and I’d love to give you some guidance and some resources.
Go on… make some sawdust. It’s so worth it in the end :)