in the beginning.

title> The First Table
style> shaker
material> quarter sawn sycamore and black walnut
source> made this in Woodworking 101

This little baby is what started my passionate adventures in crafting wood. I've always wanted to have a career in something creative. That is what led me to chose graphic design as my undergrad major. The gist of that story is that I ended up becoming more and more unhappy at the prospect of being a designer and a slave to the computer screen. It lacked a tactile, hands-on quality to it that made me yearn to be crafty. During my senior year I decided to fit extra credits into my schedule and take a woodworking class. This table is the product of that class and I realized that nothing made me more happy than when I was making wood sweat sawdust.

At the time, it was almost insane to think about throwing 5 hardworking years towards my degree away to switch to another career. It was by far the most idealistic and ambitious idea I had in my life. My carefully planned future had been thwarted by the invasion of wood. I thought that the rational alternative was to woodwork as a hobby and enjoy it that way. But i could not let go of the fact that graphic design was completely depressing me and I wanted a better match for a career choice.

I researched possible woodworking schools but my relationship situation brought me to NYC and there was no woodworking schools here to attend. I decided the next best thing was to get my foot into the door through a pre-apprenticeship training for building trades> Nontradional employment for Women (NEW). Building trade = cabinetmaking = woodworking and that would be a good place to start. Upon finishing program I found a internship at a woodworking shop> Hudson Furniture Inc. That was my first success and failure at getting a foot in the door of the woodworking world. Obviously, they make really cool furniture and it was a good experience but aside from it being the worst working environment, I was working in the office and not in the shop. I don't work there anymore.

So with that little bio-history, it brings me to today, the start of my blog. I have been in NYC for a year now and feel that my progress is worth documenting just because it consumes so much of what I am right now. I will be sharing my stories of success and failures and as well all the things that inspire me towards my goal of becoming a woodworker. One day when I've learned enough I hope to get my own design/build shop together but for now baby steps.