I made a box today. I had to. Despite all of the boxes piling up in the den, the dust gathering on the ledges of the tub, and the recycling that needs to be taken down, I went outside and did some woodworking this afternoon.
After yesterday, I wanted to feel productive. More than that, I wanted to walk away from today with something in hand made with my hands. I could’ve updated the website, worked on improving the spreadsheet, or designed some objects in 3D. That wouldn’t have been enough for today.
There are planks of hobby board in my apartment, in a corner of the den. Every morning, as I enter the den to write my morning pages, I see them and think about what I could make. My head often buzzes with ideas, many of which flutter away unpollinated. When I remember to, I jot down a note for myself.
This morning, I had a few ideas for what I could do but I wanted to be sure that I would meet with some success. Often, trying things for the first time leads to frustrations and failures. All great learning experiences, but not the pick-me-up I needed today. So, I worked on a box, something I’ve done before.
I made a different style of box but used many of the same techniques I’ve been practicing thus far. I drew up some rudimentary plans, confused myself with the drawings, realised that the dimensions I included were too small, and then started marking and cutting wood. In the end, it all came together quite well.
While I am critical of my work, I can see the success I made today. I’m walking away with something useful that I made with my hands. I needed that today so that tomorrow can be better.
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