Inspiration for a Rainy Day

Article - May 24, 2013

Every Friday, I send out a newsletter containing a summary of everything that was posted here at TheWoodWhisperer.com. Each newsletter starts with a “Note from Marc” and sometimes that message evolves into something that would be better suited as a blog post. So that’s what this is. Just a simple stream of consciousness about inspiration that I thought you might enjoy.

Several years ago, while taking a class at the William Ng School, my buddy Treefrog and I decided to take a tour of the Greene & Greene-designed home known as the Gamble House in Pasadena. It was a transformative experience to say the least. Witnessing first-hand the level of care and detail given to such a massive project changed the way I look at the craft of woodworking forever. The experience of touring the Gamble House is a little bitter sweet though because you can’t take pictures and you can’t touch more than the stairway hand rail, for good reason.

thorsen-inspirationSo when I had a chance to tour another Greene & Greene home with very few limitations in terms of access, I jumped at the chance. I met up with Darrell Peart at the Thorsen House in Berkeley, CA for another life-changing Greene & Greene experience. While the Thorsen House isn’t given white glove treatment like the Gamble House, there is no shortage of design inspiration and beauty within. Darrell took us on a tour and I had the good fortune of filming the entire experience.

As craftspeople, we find our own personal inspiration in a variety of people, places, and things. Perhaps it’s a trip to a museum, or maybe a craft show. Maybe it’s an online video series or a class you took at a woodworking school. Or maybe it’s something as simple as being able to build a utility item for a family in need. Wherever it comes from, I hope you are able to recognize that inspiration when it crosses your path, capture it, and never forget it. After all, in today’s world, we need to hang on to inspiration for the all too frequent “rainy days.”

So I’m curious, where do you get your woodworking inspiration from?

And if you’re interested in signing up for our newsletter, you can do so here:

Advertisers

The best printer of 2021