Federated Handy People

I have a favorite quote…

I am always willing to learn, but I’m rarely willing to be taught.

Sir Winston Churchill

Many of us struggle with our desire to try things because we fear embarrassing mistakes, or in the trades getting an injury. It’s as if we collectively started to believe that we should be good at things without the growing process of making mistakes or by taking knowledge from others. Most of us choose the second route.

We watch shows like This Old House or The New Yankee Workshop. With YouTUBE and the popularity of how-to videos, we can learn how to do almost anything we desire now. However, learning how to do a thing and having the tools available to try things are two very different things.

If you know a Handyperson, you probably know somebody who would love to give you private lessons for a reasonable amount of money.

Using only power sanding tools, she got to experiment incrementally with shaping the material to her intended outcome. Sometimes, having fewer tools or more restrictions on your job can enhance your creativity.

And after about an hour or two, her first-ever attempt at shaping hardwoods came to a close.

Definitely in the “Win” column.