It's about process, not just the end result

Hello and welcome to Hungry Woodworker, a humanistic exploration of woodworking, purpose, and making a living. I’m Taliesin and one thing I do when not working is write; some of which gets edited into essays and shared every other Thursday. Thank you for being here.

Greetings and happy summer solstice!

Have you ever been caught by an interest that wouldn't let you go until you pursued it?

Over the last couple of weeks, sketching has replaced writing in my life. The impetus comes from two places—first, I want to improve my design skills, and feel that if I learn to draw better my work will become more creative. Or at least the images I carve into wood will look better.

Second, I looked at the small images I use in my newsletters and decided to learn how to draw my own pictures instead of relying on ones created by someone else (or, for all I know, by AI). In the push to make more of our lives synthetic, I find myself trying to learn to do more by hand.

Luckily, one of my close friends is a talented artist who not only puts up with me but is full of tips and advice on sketching. She took me out one afternoon and taught me some techniques for drawing plants. And she introduced me to the work of another artist on Instagram who offers lots of exercises for beginners like me.

I've also been reading and enjoying the book Sketch by France Belleville-Van Stone.

In a chapter about drawing when time or resources are in short supply, she writes: "The moment you draw on a disposable support [e.g., a paper napkin or place mat while you're sitting in a restaurant], or with the intention of throwing it away, you develop a different relationship with what you draw: it won't be about the results, but about the process, for a few short minutes at least."

All this to say that I haven't got any long-winded essays in me. I've transitioned fully into summer mode, which entails a lot more time with my children and a lot less time sitting and contemplating ideas. Or sanding and contemplating.

Sketching, it turns out, is a terrific activity for waiting times. Or for when the kids and I are playing and I run out of imaginative steam but want to stay in the room with them.

Josiah, my strong-willed partner (who sent me a rather tetchy all-caps email after my comment about him in my last newsletter), suggested that summer is a time for some lightheartedness. There's enough heaviness in this world that we're all dealing with, right?

So in that vein, I'll save those essays I've been writing til a future date and leave you with a few more images from the last couple weeks.

On the left is the countertop Dad and I made for my friend who owns ClaraLouise, a lovely boutique in town. On the right is a closer view of the desktop we made for my youngest child. I just love the medullary rays in the Red Oak. (Yes, Josiah, "medullary" is a word.)

And finally, we'll close with a dog. The kids and Josiah got me this page-a-day calendar for Christmas because this dog is basically our dog, Milo.

I hope your next couple of weeks are filled with at least a few lighthearted moments, some opportunities to be creative with no big demands on the end results, and a good dog in your vicinity. ❤️