Think, study, execute. Then repeat.
The process of making
Here we are - Friday, again. And what a glorious day it is. Enjoy. Be well. And make something special this weekend. ~JRC
One of my favorite parts of any build is all the thought that goes into it. I’ve mentioned before that I spend most of my effort imagining a build; the last and shortest part is building it. So it's a good thing that I enjoy thinking about making. After all, it's so vital. The more thought I put into something on the front end, the better and more efficient the build is on the other.
Let me walk you through the build process for me, from inception to completion.
Inspiration
It's varied, that which sparks a project idea. Inspiration ranges from needs to wants to - sometimes - simple curiosity. Whatever the case, the build always starts with an idea.
Sometimes, it's about necessity; I need a place to store a tool or make a process better. These "shop infrastructure needs" are what often get me started creating. I like to work as smoothly as possible, so dreaming up ways to make my space more efficient is always a good use of time.
Other times creative ideas are about wanting to make for no other reason than to make. These “build inspirations” are often less practical - and more about fun. Think models, dioramas, and prop replicas. Whatever these builds become, dreaming them up is a chance to imagine something more, something new, something special.
Occasionally, I visualize ideas to test my skills or see how something works. What results might not always have an end application. Instead, these "proof of concept" inspirations are about learning new techniques. Or creating a functional component used in a later complete build. This kind of thinking is thus about "how things work." And it's a large part of my creative mental effort.
Whatever the inspiration, it begins with a thought and continues next into a bit of study.
Research
For many builds, I do what any self-respecting scientist-maker would do - I study up on how to do it. In days of old, I would have had to go it alone or head off to a library - or wait for the weekend to watch This Old House and other DIY shows on PBS. But these days, project research means jumping online and googling all the possible options for a build. And boy are there ever options.
Frequently, I look to see who else has built something I am contemplating. Chances are someone has already done it, and I’m not one to “reinvent the wheel," as they say. It's easy enough to find a wealth of tutorials on almost anything imaginable. And even if I don't follow one of these other maker's concepts, I still learn new things for future use.
Belaboring an idea, ad nauseam
Once I have an idea and have researched it, the next vital step is lots and lots of more thought.
To say that I overthink my builds is not an overstatement. But it’s not quite fair, either. In thinking about a project - a lot - I am refining a concept right up until execution. This preparation is often essential for getting things right.
Sometimes, all this thinking is progressive. I take an initial idea and continue to rethink, hone, and improve it. Sometimes it leads to more research while other times it leads to more thought that takes me down a new path.
As often, my thoughts are repetitive, going over and over the same thing. These mental rehearsals are about how I will make a build happen. While seemingly redundant, all this mental practice serves a vital purpose. If done with clarity and vision, "practice thoughts" lead to successful execution. Often, but not always, that is.
In making, it is the thought that counts.
Execution - the big day
Finally, after all that thought and research - and more thought - I begin a project. And I do so almost hesitantly. As much as I love making, it's always a bit daunting to jump in and start.
Why? Like anyone, I don't like failing. And I especially don't like wasting materials. My goal is to get it right - both for the pride that comes with it and the responsibility I have as a consumer. Those are tall orders and high standards, I know.
But once I reconcile all this and convince myself I am ready to begin, I dig in and make.
Many times, this hard work pays off. My builds often go well. As Col. John "Hannibal" Smith from The A-Team was fond of saying, "I love it when a plan comes together."
What is "often," you ask? For me, there’s about a 50/50 chance I pull it all off smoothly.
This means as often as not, my builds are anything but seamless. No matter how much I've prepared, I encounter the unexpected, time and again. Pitfalls, surprise challenges, difficult assemblies, blatant mistakes: all hamper my making.
But all that planning is still worth it, even when a build goes off the rails. Unexpected doesn't mean "irreparable." It means I have to do something different (or new) to see a build through, that's all.
Maybe it's a bit of patchwork to repair a misplaced hole. Or it is pulling apart a misaligned joint and regluing it. And yes, at times, it means starting over by cutting a new piece. These setbacks are part and parcel in making, plain and simple. Handling them well is integral to making well. Problems are inevitable - so a maker must be prepared.
Knowing this, I suck it up, do what I need to do, and make on. And despite any challenges along the way, there is a creation at the end of it all. It's a grande feeling, having completed a new build.
It is now time to enjoy the absolute best part of the making process.
The gratifying stare
I'm pretty sure that most if not all makers do this - taking a long & hard gratifying look at a completed work. It feels so delicious to take in what one has accomplished.
The gratifying stare is the icing on the maker's cake.
After completing a project, I will often gaze upon and contemplate it for some time. If satisfied, I do little more than enjoy what I have done. And if there are parts I think I could have done better, I consider these. Regardless, it's essential to review - to conduct the post-game analysis. Doing so sets one up for the next match - the next build.
In this way, taking in the work I've done is more than self gratifying. It's part of the learning process in making. What worked? What didn't? What can I do better in the next build? All these and more I address in this last and essential part of making.
And after the end, and the assessment, what comes next?
For me, it’s another build, no doubt. And most makers would agree. As with any journey, making is more about the path traveled than a finished project. A work completed is bitter-sweet. Soon after, perhaps immediately, we want to build again.
Making then is only partly about putting on our thinking caps. Doing our homework and creating is not even half of it. instead, it’s about making again and again, over and over, because we want to. Because we have to. Because the creative process never ends and making is not about what we accomplish, but about what we set out to do.
We don’t make to make something; we make to make. It’s the process of making that matters most.
Until next time.
JRC