Garden

A couple of days ago, I read a really good article called “Gardens, Not Buildings." This started my wheels turning about the Toybox and shops in general and maybe about the way that I manage some of the rest of my life.  You have been with me on the journey that has been creating a shop and will likely remember much of this, but a bit of a recap is in order.  In late 2010 I bought the space for my shop.  It was a blank four wall box with power and water.  I set about building an office in one corner of the space, so that ultimately I could have a place to take a nap and maybe do a little paperwork.  Following that project, I build cabinets and started putting things away in places that I knew were right for them.  At that point, it was purely a building project.

About three or four months ago, after having worked in the space for a time and knowing how I wanted things to proceed, small changes began to occur.  I moved all of the items used with the table saw to a drawer next to the saw.  I designed and built a cabinet for all of the drill press accessories.   Little changes, but changes that made the project more organic, more like a garden.  It became more functional and responsive to the needs of the user.  Then came last weekend.  I had moved some tools around to surface some lumber for a project I was working on for a friend.  The jointer, planer, router table, and dust collector were sitting in a configuration I had never had them in before, and it struck me that it would work so much better that way.  Before the day was over, equipment was moved and I will continue to move most of my work into a part of the shop that I have really not fully used to this point.  With that, the circle will begin again, moving things, developing new storage and point-of-use organizers, and continuing to find better ways to utilize the space.  Much like replanting a garden.

Then the bigger picture struck me.  When I set things up upon first arriving in a place I would live, Most of the places that I have lived, I did so based upon the belief that I KNEW what the best layout for a room was going to be.  I would live there for any number of months, or years, depending on what move it was in my life, and never move anything.  We have been in our current residence for about four years, and the odds are that most of the furniture is sitting in the same divots in the carpet that were created the first day we put things in place.  But, I think I need to treat it more like a garden.  I need to look at how we live in the space today. With fewer kids and less craziness, we should determine if there is a better way to use the space. I know people who do this naturally, turning living rooms on a quarterly or semi-annual basis, such that going to their house was always a new adventure, but that is not the way I've ever operated.

I know that I am all about the status quo.  I will sit in the same place and act in the same manner over and over again if I am allowed to.  But this experience in the shop pointed out to me that there may truly be a better way to look at things and a more effective alignment of the things in my world.  I have started small, but I do not know where it will go.  When Sara comes home tonight, will I be sitting in her chair?  How will she react?  Will I change the arrangement of my office?  It has been the same way for five years and I never really questioned it until today.  Are there items in my office at home that should be eliminated, or relocated?  I am not sure yet, but I am going to think about it.

I once worked for someone that when faced with the need to move something, or someone, his challenge was to think as if you were starting from scratch, with all of your current knowledge and ask what the perfect layout might be.  It is time to remember some of that.

On a completely separate note, I read an article a few months ago listing the top 10 essential DIY skills.  Of these, I could realistically claim that I knew four.  I am about to work on number five on my list - building a computer from scratch.  I have purchased all of the parts and Andrew is coming up in a couple of weeks to help me through the build.  I am very excited, but a little nervous as I've spent hundreds of dollars that I could accidentally blow up.  It should be an interesting journey.  Stay tuned for all of the fun.  Additionally, I think that welding should be on the list (it isn’t), so I am also working toward learning that skill.  I am trading some woodworking for welding lessons and think I might like the “barter” economy.

Have a great week.