I Create

Have you ever wanted to make something? I love taking something in it's rawest form and turning it into something beautiful. I am a craftsman/furniture maker/woodworker. I have my own business in custom cabinetry. Wood working is something that comes natural to me. After sitting behind a computer for several hours a day doing architectural design work, I realized that I longed for something more. I wanted to build something. Create something with my own two hands. I took a chance and gave up my career to pursue something else. I took a job with a good friend of mine to help him with his custom cabinetry company. The experience was a rough one because the company was sinking and getting jobs became a daunting task. I immediately jumped ship to a more reputable company and found my place in the cabinetry world. I had the privilege of working along side of some of the best craftsman that I have ever met. Even today, I wish that I was half as skilled as some of those guys.
On July 27th 2001, my daughter Eleana was born and I quit the working world to be a stay-at-home dad. This presented itself with the opportunity to start my own side business doing woodworking. I have a small clientele base and get jobs mostly by word of mouth and referrals. I love my job! I get to meet some really great people and build something for them that they are going to cherish for a long time.
As I mentioned before, I love to take something in it's rawest form and create something. I love going to my favorite lumber store (Paxton Lumber in Madiera) and choosing a wood species to turn into a piece of furniture. The smell of the wood when it is being cut is one of my favorite fragrances in the world (minus the dust particles that I am inhaling). Most of the time, I am working from a plan or a design that I created from a customer's personal idea. But, even with step-by-step instructions I sometimes run into snags that challenge me to use my brain. That's where the fun creativity is applied. It's not something that I can really explain or teach either, it's just something that I do.
Once I am finished with a project, I like to rough assemble everything just to make sure it's going to work or look right. It is at that moment when I take a step back and say "I made that. I took a simple piece of wood and turned it into something beautiful". It feels kind of like how a parent feels watching there kids grow from an infant into a person... something beautiful.

I actually like the way a piece looks before applying any finish to it. I don't consider myself a finish expert yet. That is an art form in itself, one which I am still learning. But nonetheless, I love to apply new or old techniques to get the desired look for the piece. It is at the time of delivery when I receive a sense of gratitude from my customer. The smile on there face and knowing that this is exactly what they had wanted is worth more than receiving any amount of pay for what I do. Most of my clients are now friends of mine and that means the world to me. So, what do you create? I'll bet that you have made something beautiful!