On Staying Inspired: Woodworking Workshop

How Workshops can inspire and spark creativity

Do you ever feel creatively un-inspired? Are you an artist that feels spread to thin from time to time? If so, then I can truly relate to that feeling. I have created this blog, in part, to find a solution to the creative lows we as artists experience when we don't have the time to restore our creativity energy. 

At times, I find the solution to the creative lows I feel is through continued education and learning. When we spend time freely building skills or learning a new craft, that is when things begin moving. I would like to share what I recently learned from taking a 1-day class to refresh what I knew about woodworking at Allied Woodshop in Downtown Los Angeles.

Doesn't their wood workshop in DTLA with white walls and large windows look majestic? 
Are you ready to find out more about the class? If so, read more to see what you accomplish and take home in their one-day Intro to Woodworking class. 

I took the Intro to Woodworking class. This was a beyond beneficial class for me because most of what I know about woodworking is self-taught. This class enhanced my understanding and skills in woodworking. It helped me to design better products and influenced my design process. 

My own creative process goes something like this: I have a product idea, and I create a drawing or measure out the wood based on that. Next, I grab my drawing or hardwood sample with pencil markings and head over to 1 of 2 local wood shops where I pay people to help me execute the necessary millwork. One-thing that helps me when designing a product is familiarity with woodworking machines and understanding the possibilities. My background in Set Design, informs this process.

Here are some Useful Tips From the Woodworking Class

• When planing wood, a good planer cuts downhill or with the grain. Basically, you need to make sure that the little "hairs" in the wood smooth down, not up. (I always just sort of took this action for granted as I paid local shop to plane pieces for me.) I am now considering buying a small planer of my own. 
• Use multiple grits when sanding, to refine the process. After class, I bought a new orbital sander to replace the one that was stolen from my outdoor studio a few years back. Now, I can do multi-grit sanding and better product finishes. 
• You can hook up your orbital sander to a shop vac in order to suck up wood dust that is created while you work, minimizing the toxic effect. We have done this in our garage.
• Use an old yoga mat for a pad at my new sanding station. The yoga mat has dual purposes, gripping the piece of wood in place as you sand and acting as a soft cushion preventing additional scratches during the finishing. I recommend an inexpensive mat like this one. 
• Safety first. Table saws are safer to use now due to built-in blade stopping features like the ones found on the SawStop table saw. This new technology helped to put my mind at ease. 

If you are looking for a good beginner woodworking class, I would highly recommend Intro to Woodworking. If you want to gain more knowledge of the machinery, plus make an awesome cutting board for practice. 

Check out the cherry wood cutting board that I made in class. In the end, I decided to create something small, modern and functional with a nickel-sized hole for hanging.  I am pleased with the design, and most of all I left feeling inspired. 

I hope this latest woodworking workshop inspires you too. Please share, if you attended a workshop at Allied Woodshop or have other recommendations for me. I would love to hear about your experience and future plans!