It's not what you make…
- This topic has 4 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 9 years ago by mking1.
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…it’s how you make it – an alternative route to lifestyle woodworking.
I’m sure many on this site dream of giving up their day job to spend their time working wood. The harsh reality is that most of us still need to earn living, and that isn’t going to be easy, especially just using hand tools. The pressure to be commercial and productive means maybe you start using machines more and it feels like you’ve swapped one treadmill for another.
But wait. What if profit wasn’t the first priority. To borrow a phrase – “it’s not what you make (financially), it’s how you make it”. What if your first objective was to make things that are beautiful, useful and will last longer than the tree took to grow? Maybe if you did that, people would value what you produce enough to pay you a fair price for it. Enough to get by?
In today’s world people are likely to have more than one career in their working life. There are many thousands in their 40’s and 50’s deemed ‘too old’ for the corporate rat-race but too young to retire. It seems to me that lifestyle woodworking may be more achievable as a 2nd or 3rd career, than earlier in life. What do folks think? Is this a valid alternative or unrealistic idealism? Do we really need even bigger changes in society to make this lifestyle viable, and are they going to happen?
12 April 2015 at 11:31 am #126450I’ve pondered this for a while now. I don’t have anything conclusive to offer but it strikes me that our attitude to risk and timing plays a major part.
If we are all equally talented and experienced in woodworking then the risk would be pretty equal, but we’re not. A novice woodworker can get better through practice and these forums are testimony to the progress many people are making, gaining exposure to new methods and building experience through the projects they undertake. But I wonder how much talent plays a part? The ability to replicate what someone has shown you is one thing but to turn out items that are unique, innovative and sellable is another. So risk, is in my view, a factor. With the ongoing commitments of a family to support and bills to pay many will reckon giving up a regular salaried income too big a risk to take…for now.
Which brings us to timing. Circumstances do change and we might find, as our families grow up and financial and other demands become different, that we can adopt a bit more of the lifestyle that we choose. I suppose the peak for family commitments may be during 20s and 30s and possibly into 40s. Aiming for balance is best so total commitment to work should be avoided. It may bring in the money but there’s not much value in that if your family doesn’t get to spend time with you. Once the need to earn money and have financial stability subsides then the options open up a bit…make 100% change, or go part-time as a stepping stone?
I am in my 50s, have a well paid job, and get real satisfaction from working with wood, even though I do it pretty badly. I would like, on an emotional level, to spend more time with wood and less with my paid job, but my head tells me not to switch careers just yet.
I think an “encore” career is very appealing. Having worked to earn a living for 35+ years I still have 11+ years to “retirement”, which probably means I might have 20 or so years to get better at what I currently do pretty badly and see if it could be more than a hobby and become a second career. I think this brings in a third consideration, already mentioned, which is satisfaction. If your current job doesn’t give you much of this the change could give it you in bucketloads, and this may more than make up for the risk of reduced income or financial uncertainty.
Does society need to change to make this happen? I don’t believe so – anyone considering a change to lifestyle woodworking just needs to weigh up risk, timing and satsifaction so they know what they’re getting into. On a scale representing “total success, wish I’d done it before, I’m better off than ever before” and “unmitigated disaster, I’m destitute, what was I thinking?” at either end, the reality will lie at various points in the middle. Thanks for posting on the topic – writing this reply has helped me a good bit.
I think it is completely obtainable. Chances are, you will not become a millionaire working with wood, but if you were debt free and disciplined to live on a tight budget, I bet you could do very well wood working. Maybe you couldn’t fill a showroom of your own designs, but through word of mouth and sites like Etsy, craft fairs and even through bulletin boards at church, I bet you could do well enough to support yourself and put some money away for a rainy day. I think about this all the time and I’m tempted to build small pieces of furniture for friends as gifts in hopes they would let there friends know I could custom build furniture for about the same as cheap junk from ikea and it would be custom and solid piece of furniture. When the time comes, my wife are ready to leap off this “conveyor belt” lifestyle, so we can finally enjoy life they way we were meant to.
15 April 2015 at 8:46 am #126492I’ve thought about this too. In my mind, the best strategy is to do it because you love it. I’ve seen many people start things as a hobby, fund it through commissions for friends and family, and slowly branch out. Before too long, they’re making enough to fund their hobby and turn a small profit. Maybe they do a little bit on the weekend, or cut paid work back to part time, get a small business going. Before long, they have enough confidence and clients to start a full time small business, with the experience to make it work.
That said, part of making money from small scale construction has to be sales. You have to learn to sell yourself, and to tell people why they want what you’re selling. And don’t be afraid to ask a bit more than you think you’re worth, you might be surprised what people will pay.
Thanks for these thoughtful, articulate and encouraging responses. I think it can be done, and more than that, done well. Just because profit isn’t the overriding goal doesn’t mean any lack of commitment, innovation, quality or business savvy – far from it. If you love what you are doing and can afford to take a few risks, you may be able to achieve something truly rewarding.
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