2016 Goals

Ah, New Years. That time when a whole year of possibilities lays before us. Many people make resolutions, and some of them actually manage to keep them. I won't offer any advice on that subject; there are tons of people much better at coaching than I am to give you that kind of help. For instance, the wonderfully named Kelvin Lozano has designed a great looking planner to keep everything on track. Find the Thrive planner here.

Lots of people will tell you to pick one goal and focus on it. That's sound thinking.

Until you get frustrated. It'll happen. Then you'll want another goal or project to keep your mind off things until a solution appears.

Thus, having multiple projects makes sense. Especially if they're in different areas of interest. For example, here's my list for 2016:

-complete an ultramarathon. A few years ago, I was a dedicated runner. Then I blew up my knee in the Mississauga Marathon. Turns out I should have trusted my instincts and stuck to trail running. Well, my knee is better now. Time to get back into it. I know it'll take me multiple attempts to finish an ultra; it's a grueling battle to even come close. I'm picking a few to register for that take place weeks or months apart to give myself a fighting chance, and plotting a training schedule to get me ready. It'll happen.

-Go climbing regularly. There's a climbing gym across the road from my workplace. I could get in a bouldering session on my lunch break. Why am I not doing it? No reason beyond sheer laziness, I expect. How shall I overcome it? By getting a membership and keeping my shoes, clothes, and chalk bag in my office. The gym even has a system where you can list when you're available to climb and they'll pair you up with a partner so you don't have to con your friends into going. That's a win.

-Finish re-upholstering my truck. This is a project that's already underway.All I have to do is keep on it. This is a bit of it so far. Only 12 feet to go!

-Get the bodywork on the truck done. Which means finding all the tools I need. I can do that.

-24 Hours of Lemons. This is a laundry list of smaller projects, from finding the right car at the right price, keeping the team together, installing the rollcage and safety gear, etc. etc.

-Millwright and welding tickets. Mostly consists of taking some classes and sitting some exams.

-complete the handmade wardrobe project, in which the goal is to have every item in my wardrobe either made or heavily modified by me.

-Make Toronto Furniture Rescue a viable entity. What I want to do is take poor abandoned and abused furniture, either dumpstered or from the Free sections of sites like Craigslist and give it some TLC, then get it sold. Must figure out how to sell things...

-learn blacksmithing. Already found the instructor, now to get out there and get dirty!

-cook my way through every episode of Top Chef. This might turn out to be another blog.

-Host a skillsharing party where each person teaches everyone else a new skill, from knitting to metalwork.

-Find an apprenticeship.

-meet some new people and make some friends!

Now that I've put my list out into the world, I'll have to do it. People are watching, right? Here's to accountability!

Happy New Year everyone!

Bad Ideas are the Best

I have a plan to pay for schooling, get rid of my debt, and generally position myself to be financially secure in 2016. I did the budgeting, conducted some research, and found ways I could save money.

Am I going to follow the plan?

Hell no.

I'm going racing!

Specifically, I'm going to race 24 Hours of Lemons. Spending thousands of dollars and as many hours to participate in an endurance race where the car you drive can't cost more than $500. Yep, that's right. The car can't cost more than $500 US, not counting safety gear, exhaust, tires, and brakes. A beater. That doesn't sound terribly bank-breaking, does it?

On the surface, no. Then you have to factor in things like building the roll cage, a proper racing fuel cell, 5 point harness, big brakes, etc. Right down to approved fire-proof racing socks. Socks!  It gets steep quick. I'm told that a properly equipped Lemons car will run a team at least $4000. Most of them don't even finish the race. Plus time off work, and the 10 hour drive to get there. And the hassle getting a new passport and on and on.

Why am I going to put myself in this position?

You might think there's a big prize for the winner. Nope. First prize in class A, known as Cars With a Prayer of Winning, is $400.

Is there glory? Hardly. Ask a stranger on the street if they know what 24 Hours of Lemons is. You'll likely be met with a blank stare.

So why do it?

Because it exists. Because I can. Because I happened to mention wanting to race Lemons some day to a coworker who's a fellow gearhead, and he said "yeah, let's do it."

It's a bad idea. I can't afford to do it. I'm not even sure I'm capable of doing it.

But...

I can't not do it. Even if I put all the time and effort into going and the car blows up after one lap, the adventure will be worth every penny.

Gotta Kill Captain Stupid/Self-Acceptance and the Attitude of Gratitude

A lot of people talk about acceptance these days, about cultivating self love and finding your centre. They talk about self care and connecting with your inner child.

Find your bliss.

What a bunch of crap. 

You know who's blissful? Junkies nodding out. Know what junkies are good at? Nothing.

You will never improve yourself or this junked-out world if you unconditionally love and accept yourself. Why? There's nothing like contentment to forestall action. When you convince yourself that everything is good enough, you're not motivated to change anything. Think about it. No one has ever said "I love my body just as it is. I'll lose ten pounds." People who go on diets start with a little bit of discontentment. "I look pretty good now, but I could be better."

The ones who really get under my skin are folks who go about cultivating acceptance in the face of horrible conditions. People in bad relationships, crap jobs or who face other kinds of hardships and decide they're going to put their energy into being grateful for what they have instead of trying to fix it. "All you have to do to be happy is adjust your attitude. It's a choice."

Sure it is. But I tell you what. I'd rather feel like shit than be full of shit, to quote one of my favourite punk bands of all time.

Everything is not fine. If it was, in 2013, the 13% of Americans taking antidepressants (Mayo Clinic study here) wouldn't have needed them. The 11% of Canadians on those drugs (Maclean's infographic) would have been happily going about their business.

Is our culture to blame? Our sense of being disconnected from nature, from other people? Well, yeah. But is cultivating an attitude of acceptance the solution? "My life sucks, but other people have it worse. I ought to be grateful for what I have."

If you're a sensitive person who's easily offended, you may want to stop reading here. I'm going to tell the truth.

IF YOUR LIFE SUCKS,

YOU SUCK

Yeah, you. You suck because you let it happen. You let it keep happening. You tell yourself this is the best things can be right now. That's stupid. Quit accepting things. Get off your ass and fight for yourself. That half hour you spent trying to find good things to put in your gratitude journal? Better spent sending resumes out to find a new job, or invested in learning a skill, or taking any solid step that will get you away from the shit you live with. 

You don't have to live this way. DO SOMETHING! Sad because you're lonely? Go make a damn friend- it's one of the things the internet is really good for. Stressed out because your finances are in a shambles? Make a budget, suck it up and call a credit repair agency, cut up your damn credit cards. DO SOMETHING! 

Don't try to change your inner landscape. You're unhappy because things in the world aren't right- that's not you. That's the world. Why should you change to accept the unacceptable? Get mad. Get out there and fight. For yourself, for the world. 

Yeah, it's gonna be rough. You're going to be scared and tired and pretty sure you're going to fail. Do it anyway. 

Then one day, you'll wake up and realize you made it. You changed your world. You maybe even changed the whole world for everyone. 

There's one simple practice to follow every day to achieve this:

Suck less. 

What If? Excavating the Terror

Some of you may remember from previous posts that I'm contemplating a major life change. Escaping my desk to become a millwright is a big deal, and definitely a financial step up. I'm all about the trades and harbour a (possibly misguided) belief that if you don't go home dirty at the end of the day, you're not really working.

But.

I'm scared. What if I suck at it? What if all the people that say going into a trade is a recipe for abuse if you're a woman? What if I end up on the very end of the pay scale and can't get by?

All of those things are valid. None of them are actually a big problem. If I suck or the pay isn't good enough, I can always get another job doing what I'm doing now. I got this one, I can get another. And seriously, I can guarantee that any guy who tries to put me down 'cos he's got some kind of male superiority complex is going to regret it. A lot. And not in a I'm-going-to-report-him-to-management kind of way. I will make that guy's life hell, one on one. I don't need a manager or HR department to fight my battles for me.

That's not my problem. My problem is that I'm terrified I'll put all this time and effort into landing my dream job and then...

I'll end up right where I am now.

Bored.

There is no such thing as a job that's different every day. After a certain period of time, repetition inevitably sets in. That's where I go off the rails. If I'm not learning every day, not feeling challenged, my mind wanders. I get depressed. Will all the work I'm doing to get the skills I need turn out to be a waste of time? Is this another case of throwing good money down the drain? Over the past 20 years, I estimate I've spent about $52000 on education in various disciplines, only to find that the things I studies were not a good fit for me. I don't regret it at all; I certainly enjoyed every program I took, at least at first. I simply couldn't imagine spending my entire life doing any of those things.

What if I'm a professional dilettante? What if I never find the career that's right for me? Will I spend my whole life in entry-level jobs, hopping from one low-paid job to another, struggling to figure out where I fit in?

Listen, I understand that everyone compromises a bit in their work lives. There's always some aspect of the job that you don't enjoy, whether it's paperwork or dealing with customers or a boss who's a jerk. There will always be some parts are mundane. The trick is find something where those moments are minimized.  As someone with severe reactions to boredom ranging from anger to self-destruction, my health is dependent on coming close to eliminating those moments. No, I'm not going to learn meditation or practice visualizing calm. I'm going to keep chasing the next bit of excitement. That's who I am, and I don't aim to change it for the sake of keeping a damn job. I couldn't live with myself if I did; that's too much like giving in to society's ridiculous expectations. At that rate, I might as well wash up and learn how to be a submissive housewife while I'm at it. (Nothing wrong with that, if that's who you are. I ain't it.)

What if? What if? What if?

Only one way to find out!

Failure is Always an Option

One of the projects I've been chipping away at for quite a while is fairly simplistic on it's face. I want my wardrobe to be 100% handmade. Pants, shirts, sweaters, socks; all of it. Readers who sew might be wondering what the big deal is. It's time consuming, sure, but not impossible.

The tricky bit is the 100%. A wardrobe doesn't consist only of soft goods. There's the matter of footwear to consider- ask any fashionista. Shoes are essential to any wardrobe!

You need specialized tools and equipment to make shoes, right? Some unique materials, to be sure. I decided that if people made shoes for hundreds of years before the advent of machines I could do it too.

A quick review of different types of shoes revealed that I was going to need soles. I live in a city and in a cold climate. My feet need protection! Thus the easiest option was eliminated. Moccasins were out. I generally wear sneakers, and trying to replicate molded rubber soles seemed a bit above my skill level. A hunt for a suitable sole material ensued. I found rubber garage flooring at a hardware store that seemed both flexible enough and durable enough to fit the bill.

Trouble was that I wanted the shoes to be somewhat waterproof, meaning that poking holes in the soles to stitch the upper to the base with something stiff enough to get through was a bad idea. I decided to try using E6000, a craft adhesive that does nearly everything. Best glue ever!

Looking for patterns, I mostly managed to find slip ons. For some reason, they didn't appeal to me. Back to the moccasins. I had a pair when I was a kid that were something like wrap-around high tops. I loved those! A bit of searching and I obtained a pattern for something in that line. Eliminating the footbed section wouldn't be that hard.

Famous last words.

Cutting out the soles (4 of them) left me with a deep scar on my thigh from putting my weight on an exacto knife to try and force it through the material. The edges of the rubber are still a bit jagged. There's a definite top to bottom wave going on.

Attempting to shape the uppers was an exercise in frustration. They're meant to be a single piece of fabric. I still have no idea how that's done.

At the beginning I sincerely believed I was going to pull it off. I was going to have a wearable pair of shoes- how hard could it be?

This is how hard it is.

They look like fabric bags on my feet.. The glue spilled and left marks. The fabric doesn't lay flat.

They don't look horrid sitting by themselves though. That's a thing.

Well, yeah. I guess they do look that bad. I'm not giving up. There's got to be a way. And I'm figuring it out a little at a time. At Creativ Fest in the fall, the staff manning the Tandy Leather booth showed me a tool that makes the holes I needed to stitch though while also creating a slight indentation to keep the thread from collecting moisture and bringing it inside the shoe. 

Youtubing videos about installing a wooden bed in my truck brought up a video about installing that rubber flooring I was trying to use as soles. That video had the incredibly useful hint that cutting rubber mats is much easier if you dip the blade of your knife in soapy water before you cut. It makes the blade slippery and thus it doesn't get stuck! Huzzah! 

Why did I share all this with you? It's certainly not a tutorial on how to make shoes.

I shared it because I tried to make something and I failed. As Thomas Edison said, "I haven't failed. I've figured out 1000 ways that don't work." It happens. Everyone who makes things fails occasionally. If you keep pushing your skills, you'll fail regularly. It's not a bad thing. Failure is learning. Being successful at something often means we've stayed in our comfort zone.  Step out of that comfortable box where you know exactly what you're doing and things will go sideways.

Go ahead. Fail at something. It's the only way to find out what you don't know. 

Is Fandom the Way to Get Girls Started Making?

I was chatting with the lovely Susan V. Cousineau yesterday. She's involved with an amazing group called the Meaningful Work Project (visit them here!) which encourages people to make real change in the world, ranging from rooftop gardens growing organic produce in major cities to using Open Space Technology to help groups and organizations get inspired in meetings and events. 

That's not what we were talking about. We were talking about how to get girls started in building and making. That's my wheelhouse, to put it mildly. 

There are issues with attracting girls to "hard-edged" making. Right from the get-go, children's toys are separated and labelled by gender. Boys get chemistry sets, girls get perfume-making kits. Boys get cars and trucks and tools, girls get dolls and playhouses. Yeah, there have been changes in this area recently, and some spectacular failures. (Don't even get me started on Lego Friends... grrr!) Let's cut that off at the root, shall we?

Simple, right? Buy kids things they're interested in. Feed their curiosity! Let them experiment with anything! Quit buying the sets of Lego that only make one thing. Okay, I know those sets are cool as all get out- I personally want the space shuttle set and the Lord of the Rings ones! The Architecture sets are brilliant too. But... the best Lego is still a plain bucket of blocks with no directions, no special pieces that only fit one build, and no plan. That's an open invitation to make ANYTHING! 

See, whether you're a child or an adult, making is simple. Make the thing you need to make. Find an idea that you can't NOT make, and then learn how to do it. From Lego and cardboard to 3D printing or welding, that's the key: having a project you're passionate about. 

These days, a lot of kids are passionate about pop culture. Movies, comics, anime, TV shows. If you want them to learn how to make stuff, cater to their interests. I often see government programs that are sparsely attended, in the vein of "We need women in the trades!" 

Shrug. So what? If women haven't gotten their hands dirty working on something they care about, they're not going to base a career on some nebulous ideal of achieving equality through physical labour. It's not going to happen. 

However, if that woman spent her teen years going to things like Comic Con or Anime North and being exposed to stuff like the Artist Alley that every convention features, seeing the really cool products designed and made by fans just like herself, she's already interested. Even if she doesn't know it yet. That kid who wants to do cosplay is going to figure out ways to make the things she can't afford. A replica of a famous movie weapon goes for hundreds of dollars. Making one yourself out of carved foam? $20 and your time. 

That sort of stuff is like a gateway drug. Give them a little taste of what's possible, and they'll push the boundaries on their own. "Well, the wings I made out of a coat hanger and some old pantyhose were a bit flimsy and looked kind of cheap. Next time, I'm going to make them out of hard foam insulation carved into shape with a Dremel."

Which leads to "If I can do all this neat stuff with foam, what could I do with wood? Or metal?" 

Bingo. The door's already wide open to all the trades. Getting that girl who's now confident in her ability to use tools to try out a trade is much easier. She's already a maker! 

Here's my thought- if you have an organization that teaches girls building skills, scale them down and offer a two or three hour seminar applying those skills to fandom at a convention. Reach out to steampunk clubs (there are tons of them!) or LARPers and offer to run how-to classes. Get them to see where those abilities connect to their world. 

Help Me Escape My Desk!

I feel like a bit of a hypocrite, spending time writing a blog about making and handmade, about how important the trades are, while sitting at my desk as an office administrator. It's a creeping form of guilt that begins as soon as I turn on the computer. I spend a lot of my time with youtube running in the background; in the course of a day I'll listen in on instructions about how to shape a motorcycle gas tank from sheet metal, peek at video about mold making for special effects props, or rewatch one of Adam Savage's keynote speeches from any of the hundreds of Maker Faire events he's spoken at. Lately, I've found I can't listen to Adam without being reduced almost to tears.

If you don't know Adam, he's one of the hosts of Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel and probably the leading voice of the Maker movement. Adam's built everything from a precision model of a complete Dodo bird skeleton to models used in the production of The Matrix: Revolutions (back when he worked at Industrial Light and Magic). He's an obsessive, talented maker. He's an inspiration in so many ways, putting out instructional videos and One Day Builds on Tested.com to share his skills and knowledge with others. Adam didn't set out to be a celebrity- he followed his passion for creating to it's natural conclusion.

Here's one of Adam's talks that really touched me:

That's what I want. Why should I waste my life sitting at a desk creating (pointless) spreadsheets and marketing materials for products I couldn't care less about, waiting for the moment when I can escape to whatever project I'm working on? For the moment when I can get dirty?

I've decided I'm done.

I went through all the reasons I couldn't change anything. It took me a long time to land this job. I don't have the right skill set. I haven't got any certifications or licenses. I can't afford to take a pay cut.

Luckily for me, I have an amazing sister. Knowing the sorts of things I do in my free time, like taking classes in automotive repair and welding, she did what I wasn't brave enough to do. She looked for jobs that would suit me better than this one. 

Turns out I was wrong. The skill sets I have are more than enough to get me an apprenticeship in several different trades. 

But- apprentices only get paid minimum wage, right? Hell no. An apprentice millwright (which is an industrial mechanic who typically fixes manufacturing equipment) makes $4 more an hour than I do. There goes the pay cut fear. 

Apprentices are by definition studying to get their licenses. 

Which means the only thing holding me back is... me. 

I'm not the kind of person who lets anyone tell me I can't do something. If you try, I will immediately figure out a way to do it. (Good thing no one's ever told me I can't rob a bank!)

So. Here's the bit where I ask for help. The scariest thing about applying for any job is writing the cover letter. They're dry, generally boring, and we all suspect that everyone's telling lies. I'm going to try a different tactic. Telling the truth about who I am and what I've done, and what I believe I can do. That's got to be a nice change for an HR person, right? That's where you come in. Please read my letter, and tell me what you think in the comments!

Dear {manager's name},

For nearly twenty years, I pulled double duty at a machine shop as both a technician and the operations manager. My mornings were spent

-using tools such as calipers and micrometers,

-CNC grinding equipment,

-manual or automatic welding machines to maintain and repair saw blades.

-operating ultrasonic cleaners,

-installing precision bearings,

 and maintaining various motors and pumps.

 At lunch, I changed hats and went into the office to oversee invoicing, shipping, budget reporting, scheduling, and all the other important paperwork that keeps a business running. 

When our shop closed due to the owner's passing, I pursued opportunities in the administrative field. I've been successful in my current position but something just doesn't feel right. I miss the experience of working on machines, of being able to hold something in my hands and say "I made this." I attend night school to learn about welding, metalwork, and industrial maintenance; getting my hands dirty a few nights a week just doesn't cut it. That's why I'm writing you this letter, in hopes that you will accept my application for the position of apprentice millwright. 

If you'd like to know more about me, you can contact me for an interview at XXX-XXX-XXXX or by email at XXXX@XXXX.com. 

Sincerely,

Milo Newsted

Parks, Potholes, and Positive Intentions

There's a man out there who calls himself Pat the Bunny. He used to have a folk punk band called the Wingnut Dishwashers Union. That band was great. Not because they're terribly talented or successful, but because Pat hit the nail on the head lyrically just about every song.
Wingnut has a song called Jesus Does the Dishes which sums up a lot of people's lives quite nicely.
"We're kids building models of a world that we might wanna live in.
Sorting feelings in our stomach- is this liberation or starvation?
But have we made it anywhere at all if the dishes are never done?
If we can't live without dishwashers, how could we live without cops?
And so you're asking me, who does the dishes after the revolution?
Well, I do my own dishes now.
I'll do my own dishes then."

That's self-sufficiency right there. It can apply to everything from doing the chores to running a country. Honest, it can. We've got a lot of problems in this world right now because we've convinced ourselves that we need politicians, cops, and experts for everything. We wait for someone else to do the things that need to be done. "It's not my problem," people say. "Not my job."

We complain endlessly about government funding for infrastructure, and the lack of maintenance on roads and public buildings. Well, we created our own problem by allowing all that bureaucracy to build. A theatre I was working in a little while ago needs a bit of TLC. It's owned by the city, which is a problem because there's only one person working there on the city payroll. He hasn't got the time to do things like repainting the walls in the lobby. I volunteered to put together a crew from my theatre group- we'd be more than willing to do the job, and it's not like it's a dangerous undertaking. Most of us have painted a wall or two before. We love that theatre and want it to be the best venue it can be. Did we go in and knock that paint job out in the four or five hours it would have taken? Hell no. As a city facility, only city employees are ALLOWED to work on the building in any capacity.

That's just plain stupid. The city will spend thousands of dollars hiring someone to do a job we were willing to do for FREE, and it won't happen for two or three years. It needs doing now, and there are folks who want to help. Let them, you bunch of ... well, dear reader, you can fill in the blanks.

I used to live on a suburban street lined with lovely mature trees. The catch was that the trees on the far side of the sidewalk were off limits. If one needed pruning, you had to call the city to come and do it or risk getting a fine for doing it yourself. I'm actually surprised they let us rake the leaves in fall! One of my neighbours was a fantastic gardener who bucked the law and spent a lot of time tending the flowers and plants in the park at the end of our street. It was the best looking park in town. She ended up getting a fine from a by-law officer for that.

An example of good intentions gone wrong: Mike DeFazio of St. John, New Brunswick filled the potholes on his street and got fined for it. Granted, he did it with gravel instead of asphalt, but the spirit was right. See a problem, fix it! Fined for fixing the road? Ridiculous!

Imagine what our cities could be like if we had crews of volunteers out there improving things. Broken play equipment in the park? No problem- there's a woodworking club who'd be happy to repair it. There's a group who'd like to start a community garden, but the city doesn't have maintenance staff to oversee it? What exactly do we need them for?

Oh, but those city workers are trained. They're experts. The only way to make sure the jobs get done safely is to pay someone to do it. Newsflash- a lot of those workers you're talking about are university students with no particular occupational training. It would make a lot more sense to run a training seminar for a group of volunteers who will be in the neighbourhood for the next thirty years while they raise their kids. People who care about the place they live, who aren't going to be gone next summer when they graduate.

Wouldn't it be nice to live in a place we're proud of? A place with memories other than "that's my mall, and that's my big box grocery store? That's the park I drive by on my way home to watch more TV?"

Thanks... I think.

Recently, I volunteered with a local theatre group, building sets and props. I'd recently moved to a new city, didn't know anyone except for a few casual acquaintances from school, and was feeling at loose ends. I figured it would be a good application of my crafty jones and make me feel a little less lonely. I did it purely out of self-interest. It had occurred to me that having volunteer experience building these sorts of things would be a good addition to my resume- I tend to take an idea and run it right to the end of what's possible. So I was thinking something like, "I'll start out doing it for free, and then I can apply to companies that make things for film and TV. Getting paid to do something different every day would be my dream job!"

Clearly, my imagination is bit bigger than reality. Long story short, I went, I made. Turned out I spent most of my time alone in a warehouse. So the idea of making friends was a bit shot. Oh well. It was still fun.

After the production's run ended there was a wrap party for the cast. I debated- should I go, and be the pathetic little person sitting in the corner? After all, the actors had all been working together for months. I hadn't even met some of them. They were friends, and I was basically a stranger. Bad situation.

On the other hand, I wasn't going to make any friends staying home.

I went. The actors and crew people were lovely. Fun all around. I was extremely surprised to be the recipient of 4 separate thank you cards for the work I'd done. I didn't expect that at all! So that was a thing.

One thing I heard over and over that night was "we couldn't have done it without you!" Which is a perfectly understandable sentiment. It did trigger a contrarian response deep in my brain. "You didn't even try!" Nothing I did was terribly complicated or scary or required special training or knowledge. Anyone with decent eye sight and hand-eye coordination could have done it.

Anyone who stepped out of their comfort zone and tried.

The Question of Pride

Hmm. The question of the day is "what are you most proud of?"

That's a complicated question. Am I proud of the things I've made? Um. not really, not in a "look what I did!" kind of way. I don't make things because I want to show off my skills. I make things because I have to. I get cranky if I don't. That's not really something to be proud of.

That have to leads me down the road to trying out all kinds of things. I decide I want to make X. Not a clue how to do it. So I figure it out. I read about what other people have done, or adapt skills I already have to the new project. I experiment. I fail. I try again.

Eventually, it comes out right. I breathe a sigh of relief and start a new project- right back where I started, with an idea and not a clue how to bring it to life. That's part of the fun.

Maybe what I'm proud of is encouraging other people to get their hands dirty. Or if not legitimately dirty per se, at least to get their crafty mojo running. I take public transit a fair bit, and I make certain I don't travel empty-handed. I use the time to knit or work on another small project. Often, fellow travelers watch me work, which sometimes feels a bit creepy, but that's just me. Some times they're another knitter and engage me in conversation about what I'm working on. Other times, they ask how I learned to knit. "From YouTube," I say.

"Oh, I could never do that; it's so complicated," they say.

"How many stops do you have before your destination?" I ask.

"Five or six," they say hesitantly, wondering what I'm up to.

"Perfect," I say, digging my spare needles and some cotton yarn out of my bag. "Sit down and I'll teach you how to do it. It only takes ten minutes."

And they do. They're always amazed at how simple it really is. I explain how to cast on, the knit stitch and let them try it out. Once they've got the hang of it, they're all smiles. I give them the needles, enough yarn to complete a garter stitch dish cloth, and a sheet of pictures showing how to cast off. They usually want to know why I'm giving these things away. "Just sharing the crafty goodness," is always my reply.

A couple of times I've had those folks find me on the platform weeks later, wanting to show me their finished product. That's something to be proud of, right there.

For those of you who want to learn and don't find themselves on the TTC, here's a good video about casting on from Koser Yasmine Samkough on YouTube.

(top image "borrowed" from stitchdiva.com)

The Dreaded "What Do You Do?"

What do you do?

That's a question guaranteed to make your conversation partner uncomfortable, and frankly bore you to tears listening to the answer. Most of us are stuck in jobs we can barely tolerate ourselves and certainly don't want to rehash in our free time.

I don't answer the question with the expected. From 8:30 to 5 most days, I'm an admin. However, saying that is what I do is mildly embarrassing and largely dishonest. Admin work may be what pays my rent, but it's not who I am.  I'm a maker. That's what I do: I knit, I sew, I build, I design. I invent. That's what I do.

And really, if we're having a casual chat, would you rather hear about the adventure I just had using a pottery wheel for the first time (I did not know I could make that big a mess in such a small amount of time!) or listen to me mumble something about endless spreadsheets? That's what I thought. You want to hear the engaging, sometimes funny stories.

I've made a commitment to conversational improvement. I will never again ask someone what they do. From now on, I'm going to ask what they make. Everyone makes something, whether they believe it or not. Some people make cakes or amazing Italian meals. Some make dresses for their grandchildren. A lot of people make beer these days. And some people make stories, written or oral. Holding court in a coffee shop, regaling your friends with tall tales is actually making- you're making entertainment, your'e making connections.

Telling people I'm a maker gives me an opportunity to share my joy. Talking about invoicing does not. Telling people what I really do opens the door for them to say, "oh, I always wanted to try such and such." Which is the moment I want to have, when I can say "what's stopping you?"

Because this is my passion, I almost always know where to direct them to get started. I might not know how to build a robot; I do know where the hackerspace in my city is, and that those people will help someone learn. I know where the tool library is ("I was always interested in woodworking, but the tools are so expensive..." NO, they're $50 for all you can use in a year!), I know who teaches sewing, and jewelry making, and painting, and drawing, and cooking, and automechanics. And on and on. Give me a chance; I'll have you creating in no time! I want to tell everyone where those resources are because I truly believe humans are wired to create and invent.

And play. That's what making really is, in all it's forms. It's play and meditation and prayer rolled into one. It's why I get up in the morning and often why I stay up late.

It's what I do.

What Difference Do I Want to Make? What Difference Can I Make?

What difference do I want to make in the world? What difference can I make? I'm only one person, and not a terribly social or persuasive person at that. I'm prone to wild swings of commitment to most causes and projects. What I can say is that the one thing that doesn't change is my passion for handwork; proper get-your-hands-into-it and get dirty work. The people I respect most in the world aren't actors or politicians or CEOs. They're mechanics and woodworkers and blue collars of all stripes. Why? Because they're the folks who get things done! Without people who have solid technical skills, nothing can happen. If you need a house, no amount of mortgage brokers or bankers can make that house appear without construction workers to build it. No amount of money can fix your alternator without a mechanic. An army of developers and coders can't make the internet run without technicians to lay cable, build satellites, and maintain that network.

We're about to enter a period where a serious blue collar shortage is going to interrupt a lot of industries because the last twenty years has been dedicated to undervaluing trades and directing students to choose white collar or service professions. According to Forbes magazine, 38% of skilled trades jobs are held by workers 55 or older, particularly in electrical and machine maintenance trades. Those folks are going to retire and there aren't enough young people going to trade school to replace them because our culture has been streaming people into the debt-heavy world of university education. Well, that's okay, you say. Companies will just have to pay more for workers with those skill sets. Except that's not happening either. Wages for skilled labour have not improved, in fact they've fallen. Who wants to train for years or do an apprenticeship for a minimum wage job? That's right, no one!

Until we start to respect the trades, the situation will not improve. That's the difference I try to make- I share my enthusiasm for hands-on work with everyone I meet. I do my best to improve my skills in these areas so I can teach other people how to do things for themselves.

Knowledge breeds respect. Someone who's tried to build a bookshelf and come out with a not so satisfying result has more respect for a craftsperson who can make one than someone who just went to a store and bought a shelf. Heck, someone who's opened the hood of their car and taken a look at the engine has more respect for mechanics than someone who hasn't. I'm not trying to get everyone to take up a trade, merely to make them acknowledge how necessary they are to the day to day functioning of the world.

Dirty Hands Will Save Your Life

Normally, a blank page is inspiring, full of possibility. I can tell any story I choose, be anyone I can imagine for a moment. This blog is different. I don't mean for it to be fiction. I want it to be as real as possible; a place to show and tell what's important to me.

Just what is important to me, you ask? Well, on the most basic level, creating is what makes me tick. I make things and invent things and modify things. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. That's what I'll write about here. Documenting my process isn't something I'm terribly good at. When I'm working on something, I get very focused and stopping to take photos simply doesn't occur to me. I'll do my best.

What I want people to get out of this blog is simple: I want people to read my posts and think "hey, I could do that!" Then maybe they'll go do it. I sure hope they do!

Things I have on the go right now that'll end up here in some way:
-Sets and props for a community theatre production
-a 100% hand-made wardrobe
-a kitchenette set that desperately needs some TLC
-an antique cabinet in need of repair and refinishing
-tchotckes for a craft swap
-shoes made from scratch (this project is a bit of a fail right now, but I'm working on it!)
-a total overhaul of my pickup truck

Oh, and a pair of socks I'm knitting that might turn out to be the world's ugliest!

Why am I doing this? Because I believe that people are inherently creative, and when we stop making and experimenting and imagining it's bad for our health, our sanity, and our world. Sitting around doing nothing except watching TV makes you depressed. Let's get going!