These are two necks to finish my first run of instruments
Another day of work goes by doing this. It is amazing how much progress I can make now related to where I was two years ago. Leaning from your mistakes helps a great deal. That's the sign of craftsmanship.
Working with almost no electric tools means the process is slow. It requires a lot of attention to detail. It should expensive just by this fact, but at the early stage of any craftsman prices have to be relatively cheap in order to make sales. Once there are some instruments around, word spread and the true prices can be shown.
As I'm writing this, someone is helping me with some Instagram stories to clarify payment methods, shipping and instrument tiers. Some basic stuff to needs to be there for petentisl clients. Lists of prices are still a thing that will come after a DM comes by. This is a thing of flexibility. It also helps to adjust the prices as it is needed since everything around here keeps getting expensive and I can't cut my own timber.
Surely this will help me have some things answered and I can focus on the hand work. The important stuff. Some days, I over do it. Then, my hands hurt. I drop everything and the blisters are there to remind me I have soft hands that need to get used to working like this. It is funny.
I had to buy gloves as I had two massive blisters on each thumb from using my card scraper. Not a good thing. Heat and blisters are not a good combo for keeping hands healthy. An abuse of these could lead to skin cancer. Just like working on this trade without a mask could lead to certain forms of lung cancer and other related diseases.
A friend told me about this issues yesterday. He was explicit about the price of health. His argument is sound. The true thing an artisan uses to value their job is health. The lack of it usually means being unable to do it. Thus, no money to take care of it. Ergo, bad thing piling up.
To be honest this is something that I hadn't considered. I've always tried to keep myself protected from harm while I work. There's the mask while I sand or scrape. Now, the gloves as an extra layer of protection. I got some safety goggles for other tasks and so on. But I never considered that the price of my work is tightly related to my health in such a way.
It may sound astonishing, but I guess it's the usual worker's complex. As work becomes the whole center of one's life, one tends to forget that there's the need to be alive first in order to do the job. And not barely living, I mean being healthy. Working without health is a recipe for disaster.
As I close my work day and my feet hurt for standing for so long, it reminds me of those past days of teaching. One needed to take care of one's voice. The main tool of a teacher (in most cases). Posture and comfortability were also there. A teacher needs to stand for long periods of time. So wearing comfortable clothes is imperative. Sometimes, this needs to be adjusted to the dressing code of an institution.
Not too far off in this case. Standing for hours but using more the hands than the voice. It looks like the same kind of deal. If my hands get too tired, I won't be able to work the next day. Thus everything is delayed. It is a thing learning to pace oneself while doing this.
On another thing about health, it's been too long since I last had a full medical check. I was sick last year and have finally recovered. Exercise isn't in my weekly routine but it might come back. At least, some for of it since woodworking is like working out. But I think I need to make a coin jar for medical checks. One never knows if anything is wrong until it is.
I guess that also the fact of mom being a nurse gets me thinkibg of other stuff before going onto the health issues. Bur withour a doubt this conversation of yesterday has brought back to the priorities list.
Definitely exercise is key. It's like brushing your teeth - you can't neglect it, even if you want to. And you always feel a bit better afterwards. Teaching all day, I'm too tired at teh end of the day, but I force myself outdoors and in the garden or around the block. It's freezing here but it'll still be good for my mental and physical health to get out.
Yes, I need to get back to my 1-hour-a-day walk around the block. It might help me a lot with stress as well. And I don't teach anymore but having sore feet from standing reminds me a lot of it. 😅
Teaching is a hard gig, don't relive those memories!
It's too late Vietnam memories! 😅
Shakes and all!!!
A true traumatic experience! 😂
Hey Andrés
Nice to see that you're prioritising your health. When you work with your hands, looking after them is so important. Walking just for 20 to 30 mins a day makes a huge difference. I know I need to start doing more walking. Always good to find a balance if you can.
Have a great week further 🎸
Hey, Andy
Glad to see you around here. Yes, sometimes I forget I'm turning 30 this year and some stuff isn't the same as my teenage years. Might get to check on your walking if you do the same for me. You know for extra nagging voice outside the head value. 😂
Have a great week! ✨✨✨