Ugly

Whenever I drive to the Toybox, I pass a new building which is going up. It is some type of government building which will house some type of support function.  I’m sure it will work well for what it is designed to do, but it is ugly.  Even though it isn’t finished yet, no matter what they do to it, I believe it will remain ugly.  I keep asking myself why someone would choose to build an ugly building.  This fall, in an architectural tour around Des Moines, the same challenge came from some of the design professionals on the tour.  Why build ugly?

I spent a great deal of my life in the building materials business and I will say that without question, the difference between an ugly building and a beautiful building is not significant.  Add a little extra trim to the outside of a building, broaden the eaves, or add some nice landscaping and almost instantaneously the building changes.  On the inside, you can change the species of door or add crown molding. Adding something as simple as wallpaper on one focal wall can change a room, and transform a house from drab to interesting.

In our daily lives, we really face the same challenge, though I believe this is a much more difficult task.   We all work to make the things we produce, whether writing, music, math or woodworking; beautiful.  We work to add things others like and find enjoyable.  In woodworking, I find this to be the challenge.  I have a tendency to think and work in right angles and straight lines.  Check out the article on Sam Maloof in Wikipedia.  You will find this picture of a rocker he produced.  There is not a single straight line in the piece - anywhere.  This isn’t what you see in my woodworking. Fortunately, I have found that in using contrasting woods and finishes, I bring beauty to my pieces.  As I continue grow as a woodworker, maybe I will find ways to add curves and variety to my work, but I seriously doubt that Sam, if he were still alive, would ever have to feel threatened by me.

As I think about buildings, work, and hobbies, I also think about what I do to add beauty to my life.  It doesn’t take huge changes to make a difference.  I can change the way I look by losing a few pounds or getting a haircut.  These are outer changes are usually noticeable to the world.  Inner change is much more difficult.  I have lived for almost 56 years and making changes to the basic way I interact with the world is tough.  But the payoff is worth the effort.  I’m fully aware of the areas in my personality and mannerisms which are weak and those are the things I want to work on.  It seems to me that 2013 will be a great year to work on transforming my inner self.

I began this blog thinking about ugly buildings, and by the end, I've begun considering new ways to become a person in whom ugliness will not reside.  I am going to commit myself to adding beauty wherever I can: the house where I live, the woodworking I do, and the person with whom each of you gets to interact.  Each day is a gift, and together we need to make the most of it.  Enjoying each other should be a big part of that enjoyment.  Join me on the journey and let’s see what beauty we can make together.