After working with dozens of woodworking authors and editors, I can tell you why most mistakes occur in woodworking books, magazines and blogs. They are caused by interruptions.
If you are writing down numbers, dimensioning a drawing or explaining a complex task, you are doomed if someone walks in and asks you a question. You will transpose something, skip something or copy and paste something completely wrong. I personally guarantee it.
So when I write, edit or design, I like to work in complete solitary. I have a room for writing and a second small and isolated room for editing and designing.
As I was drawing out the floorplan for the new Lost Art Press storefront (opening March 12), I couldn’t place my desk anywhere that would give me the dark burrow I need to work. As luck would have it, however, the overwhelming archaeological evidence is that the two front rooms of our storefront were separated by a wall (perhaps two walls). After sketching in a wall that would make the bench room a nice rectangle I saw it: My spider hole.
It’s an alcove about 7’ x 11’ under the stairs. No windows to the outside. Just the overwhelming claustrophobia that makes for good editing and designing. Today carpenter Mike Sadoff and I framed up most of this new wall and I ran some new electric to the spider hole to fuel my computer and a printer. There won’t be a phone there. Or email. Or SMS.
So now I can relax.
— Christopher Schwarz
Put some tape on your glasses and you’ll have the whole Harry Potter thing down. Or one of the Hanson brothers; depending on your mood. 🙂
So when I have a question, I should now send my owls to:
Mr. C. Schwarz
The cupboard under the stairs
837 Willard St.
Covington, KY 41011
Snort
This is why I like hanging out with woodworkers…
When I mixed records I preferred my studio have no windows. I didn’t want the darkness of night to have any bearing on whether my day was done or not!
I also don’t want to know if I’m turning into a werewolf…..
They are allowed. The only thing we censor is profanity….
Well, son of a…. oh, never mind.
Well that certainly will look better than the slant wall under the stairwell followed by the wayward arch in the background. Now if you will just put in a hobbit-like door into the arch on the other side, you will be most elegantly set.
It will look a lot better from the front.
I’m still trying to figure out what to do with the arch. The “correct” answer is to rebuild the wall with the period correct exit to the back (you can see the outline in part of the arch). But I might wait a few years to do that so I can do it without giving up meat or cashews in my diet.
You’re gonna need a sign that says “The Hermit is out. Go away. “. To prevent drop-in visitors from disturbing your blissful editing peace. Because you know someone will.
Nope. I never answer the door or the phone anyway. It will just be as usual. I’ll be behind the wall with headphones on, working like a beaver on speed.
I am glad that you are living out a small part of the rest of your life in the way you want to. Be happy man, only you can control your future.
Beaver on speed. Overwhelming claustrophobia. I like it.