Woodworking is BULLSHIT!

You know THAT person, the one who philosophizes from their living room chair, has ALL THE ANSWERS, but never really accomplishes anything.  Yup, all theory, zero practical experience.  You probably also know THAT OTHER person who launches head first into endeavors without knowing what they're doing, without doing any preparation, only to find they wasted time and money and are in WAYYY o...

A wonderful continuation of a wonderful discussion on storytelling.  In hour 2 things get even more real, almost like an episode of "Barstool Confessions" where the 4 of us continue discussing the importance of storytelling but with even more personal viewpoints. Are you a good storyteller?  Do you tell the story behind your art so that the audience undertstands and CONNECTS with your wo...

Are you a good storyteller?  Do you tell the story behind your art so that the audience undertstands and CONNECTS with your work?  Storytelling is the KEY to making people care about WHY you make art and WHAT IT IS YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY with it.  People buy the work for the STORY of the art and the maker.  If we know storytelling is so important, why don't we spend more time and...

Can you succeed with HARD WORK ALONE, or do you need TALENT as well?   Does TALENT make the difference between being good vs being great? What exactly is the difference between talent, aptitude, and hard work and which do you possess?  Join us for a spirited discussion on this topic in today's episode.  Plus, MARY IS BACK!   To watch the YOUTUBE VIDEO of this episode and t...

BY POPULAR REQUEST, ANOTHER EPISODE OF BARSTOOL CONFESSIONS.  Pull up a bar stool next to us, have a beer, and talk about DESIGN, LIFE, PHILOSOPHY, and the emotional nature of CREATIVITY. This episode gets back to our roots where Paul & Erik have a  vulnerable and candid discussion on two SUPRISE QUESTIONS (each of us came up with 1 question and DID NOT tell the other person prior to...

When you design something, should you be thinking about the final price upfront?  Does that help guide you toward a sale of the piece or does that HINDER your thinking, prohibiting you from making AN EVEN BETTER PIECE??  Are we thinking practically about marketing, price point, and MAKING THE SALE, or are we LIMITING OUR CREATIVITY or ability to break into even HIGHER PRICE POINTS? Join...

Where has all the color and ornamentation gone??? Why has minimalism become so pervasive over the last century in America? Once, ornamentation and vivid color were celebrated hallmarks of art, architecture, and design—think Baroque paintings, intricate textiles, and the opulence of Art Nouveau. But with the rise of minimalism in the early 20th century, a dramatic change took hold. Clean lines, mut...

This podcast began organically, when Paul & Erik noticed that each time they were together, they would pull up a bar stool, have a beer, and talk about DESIGN, LIFE, PHILOSOPHY, and the emotional nature of CREATIVITY, so why not record the conversations that were ALREADY HAPPENING?!  We figured we may or may not find answers, but at least we're asking the right questions, being honest wit...

Have you ever felt a sense of calm after working in the garden, fixing something in the shop, or cooking in the kitchen? Why does working with our hands have such a powerful effect on our mood? Can working with our hands help with the heaviness we feel, the anxiety, or even depression? In today’s episode, we’re diving into the deep connection between WORKING WITH OUR HANDS and MENTAL WELL-BEING wi...

We ALL FACE LIMITATIONS IN OUR LIVES:  Limitations based on form and function (how DIFFERENT can a guitar or violin actually be without sacrificing sound quality or playability?), limitations of materials (there's only SO MUCH of a specific figured wood or rare veneer), and limitations of economy (we can only spend so much time or money on a piece while making a living!).  So HOW DO WE S...

Have you ever felt feelings of loneliness and/or isolation as a creative?  We spend so many hours alone typically because that is how we make things and have the quiet head space to create.  Moreover, many people in our lives may not understand WHAT or WHY we do this.  How much alone time is optimal vs. too much?  What do you do when feeling of lonliness creep in? Today we have...

Did Erik copy Nick's cabinet?  Did Nick copy Erik's?  Did they copy each other?  or did both just happen to occur simultaneous and independently?  Why were their build videos so similar as well?  Why does this happen?  TODAY we talk with the amazing DESIGNER AND FURNITURE MAKER NICK PEDULLA on the topic of COPYING vs SIMULTANEOUS REVELATION, and set the record straigh...

Should you cut raw meat on wooden cutting boards? Do the bacteria grow inside the cutting board?  Is plastic better?  Should you use a finish on wood cutting boards?  How often do SERIOUS allergies develop from breathing in wood dust?  Should you always wear a mask?  What is the risk of cancer for woodworkers?  IF YOU'VE BEEN CURIOUS OR CARE ABOUT ANY OF THESE QUESTIO...

Have you heard of "Industrial Design" before? (or have you largely overlooked it like so many of us?!)  The iPHONE, which transformed the entire world, is an ingenous example of Industrial Design where an object is designed to interact with hundreds of millions of random people.  What are the rules governing GOOD INDUSTRIAL DESIGN and what does it have to teach us about OUR OWN WORK????...

Are you satisfied with what you have in life?  Do you find yourself wishing for MORE?? MORE AND MORE MONEY, a bigger/better place to live, a nicer car or more opulent vacations?  "When I have (Insert Answer Here), then I"ll be happier!" . Do you continually strive for more, AND ACHIEVE IT, only to feel somewhat hollow or anticlimactic? Let's start 2025 together on a POSITIVE OPTIMISTIC n...

DO YOU KNOW what your significant other or non-artist friends THINK & FEEL about your art, your craft, or your passion?  Do they find it intersting because we do?  Do they feel the special pull of hand made objects like we do?  Do they find themselves passionate by proxy, or do they think we're just weird? Join us for a special HOLIDAY EPISODE where we hear from the significant...

Do you find yourself bored when you make something more than once?  How about when you make that something 1000 times because it sells well?  Is there creativity to be found withing production work?  How do we deal with the mental side of doing a repetitive task? In this episode we think about both the PROS and CONS to production work and how to find the right mindset that enables r...

Do you want to earn more money for your work?  Do you struggle to set prices and get nervous thinking about asking for more money?  When you do charge more, do you feel ok about it?  Today we discuss the many ways one can RAISE PRICE POINT as an artist and then have a short but spirirted session of WIB's DEBATE CLUB where Erik and I debate the ethical and moral implications of doing...

Do you feel STRESS at times in the shop?  Many people turn to woodworking and other crafts to relieve stress but once sufficiently into it, those once stress-relieving hobbies can actually become a SOURCE OF STRESS.   Today we talk about the stresses that each of us feel around the shop and making experience, what effects that stress has on us, and how we go about solving or allevia...

We've all seen them, pieces of furniture or woodworking where someone throws all these random ass pieces of contrasting figured woods together, thinking that by using figured woods, their piece will look better, or fancy, or valuable.  When in reality, it often looks gaudy and disjointed, and a bit confused.  IS USING FIGURED WOODS A GIMMICK?  Join a spirited debate on how we see th...

Have you ever felt like an Imposter at work or when creating?  It is estimated that up to 85% of people experience imposter syndrome in their lives, despite training and high achievement.  ARE YOU PART OF THAT 85%?  In today's episode we confront this issue head on with the help of Kristin Siegfried Ballenger, who is an expert luthier (maker or violins and other stringed instruments...

As soon as we sat down to record, Erik said, "Let's just WING IT!!" , instead of following an outline for the conversation about: IS BEING COMPETITIVE A GOOD THING?  Paul is noticeably uncomfortable and what ensued is lovely W.I.B. history. To watch the YOUTUBE VIDEO of this episode and the irreverent & somewhat unpredictable AFTERSHOW, subscribe to our Patreon:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://patreon....

In today's episode of the Master Series, we discuss the amazing Japanese Americana furniture designer and architect, George Nakashima, widely considered to be the father of slab furniture.  George believed trees had a soul, and through the act of making furniture he was giving them a second life.  His most famous pieces of furniture include live edge slab tables and benches with architec...

The current crop of DIY shows make us feel as though we can build anything quickly and easily over the course of a weekend with only a few tools.  But is this ACTUALLY TRUE??? Are DIY influencers selling us a fantasy as a form of entertainment or are they really teaching us how to make things and improve our homes?  In this episode, we review a brief history of DIY culture and how it dev...

Are you a PERFECTIONIST? Do you have tendencies toward perfectionism?  Does it steal the joy of making things?  Does it make it difficult to start or finish anything because it's so built up in your mind how AMAZING the next project needs to be?  OR does it make you a better maker/artist with a higher standard of excellence who improves very quickly after each project?  In this...