Know the rules so you know how to break them
Re-sharing "Follow a plan or wing it?"
Follow a plan or wing it?
Either way, there are rules. But don't always follow them.
First published April 17, 2023
There's something to be said for following a pre-existing plan.
If it's a good plan, the kinks have been worked out. All that's required is to follow the instructions step-by-step, and so long as you can effectively execute everything necessary, a project will turn out as expected. Easy enough, right?
Not so fast.
There are a lot of qualifications in the above statement:
The plan has to be a good one.
You need to know what you're doing.
You must be able to follow instructions.
Even with a plan, there are no guarantees in making.
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But the unknowns are mainly manageable, so long as the above three criteria fit. For me, I can assemble anything IKEA has to offer. And I have the tools and knowledge to similarly build many kits, such as electronics and scale models. I also feel qualified to construct many woodworking projects from plans. (On the other hand, I am not even remotely qualified to perform surgery beyond removing a splinter).
Plans do offer security that winging it lacks. But it can be a little stale. And you never fly unless you take that leap. Indeed, there’s much to be said about making it up as you go.
Ah, yes. Winging it. This "by-the-seat-of-your-pants" creating can be exciting and fulfilling. A completely novel build tests our abilities far more than planned projects do. And certainly more than a kit assembly. But with the aspirational reward from winging it comes an increased chance all will go sideways. Or worse - the build ends up a crashed pile of nothing.
The qualifications for winging it:
Your plan has to be a good one.
You need to know what you're doing.
You must be able to follow your own instructions.
I'm sure the similarities are apparent.
What it all boils down to, whether following a plan or making up your own, is this: know what you want, know how to do it, and do it in a way that works.
Other than that, there are no rules in making.
Except, of course, all those methods, techniques, and skills that making anything of substance requires. I'm talking about the how-to in DIY. We might not see them as rules when engrossed in an original design, but we use all those methods that we know will work to do what we want to accomplish.
How to cut wood the safe way. How to join two pieces of material. What paint to use. How to solder. How to weld. How to "how to" your way to the end. All of these require that we follow a set of rules effective for getting the job done right.
But don’t let even the tried-and-true methods out there get in the way of your originality.
There's an oft-cited adage, "Know the rules so you know how to break them." This notion is the core of any maker project, from assembling a simple POÄNG armchair or imagining your way into a rocker made from reclaimed junk.
Or inventing powered flight, for that matter.
If you understand what it takes to make what you want, you have the freedom to make it your own.
Make that IKEA chair by not following all the instructions. Take the plans literally only to a point where structural elements remain intact, and then chart your own path by creating something new. Hack it into something unique by skipping the dull padding and covering it in leather instead. Or add a few castors and use it as a desk chair. But be sure and do follow the unwritten rules in your head. How to work leather. How to measure and drill holes. How to bolt on the wheels. All of these have one or more established ways to do them, and following a way, if not the only way, will ensure that your hack job is anything but a crap job.
And that junk-to-rocker idea? Take what materials you have and put these together in a way that works. No matter how inventive or novel your concept is, if you don't fasten those repurposed leaf springs solidly onto the old bar stool you have with that precariously perched tractor seat, your make-it-up plan will be a bust. So follow the rules, weld those springs to that stool, and make sure and righty-tighten the screws securing the seat.
A fair question: How do we know when to follow the rules and when to break them?
Experience, obviously. And time.
The only way to learn almost any maker rule is by watching, practicing, and - most importantly - trying it yourself. This leads to the final and most important rule in making:
Don't follow all the rules all the time.
Safety first, of course. But after that, the most exhilarating way to know if something is possible is to try. Plan for failure, but try nonetheless. It's how we learn to work leather. It's how we make clean cuts, straight holes, and solid joints. It’s how we learn to fly.
Trying and failing can be as much fun as trying and succeeding, so long as we temper expectations and pocket whatever we learn for future builds.
So whether you're following the plan, or making your own, use the rules you've learned to make your project a success. But don't forget to chuck the instructions aside from time to time. That's where we find a new set of plans to do the next build. And the next one after that.
Be willing to shake it up and experiment - to soar.
Until next time.
JRC
J ROBERT CLARK - MAKES is a reader-supported publication. There are no rules for reading and sharing these stories, but a little paid support will help me keep revising this evolving plan. Thank you!
There is a lot to learn about rules !