Anyone else suffer from 'woodworker's block'?

[Kees Heiden]

Totally!

At the moment I am in a deep woodworking "depression". Like you, it often happens when moving from one type of job in a project to the next. I kind of develloped a rhytm, so it is easy to go to the shop for a few hours or so and do something meaningfull. Everything is setup right, tools are ready and sharp etc. The next phase in the project demands a new setup. Sometimes I am all eager for that next step, sometimes I am just not.

So, I travel, summer hollidays, rock climbing, gardening work. Whatever. The lust to do woodworking sure will come again. And sometimes i just need to give myself a kick in the back.

[Mark Stutz]

Totally!

At the moment I am in a deep woodworking "depression". Like you, it often happens when moving from one type of job in a project to the next. I kind of develloped a rhytm, so it is easy to go to the shop for a few hours or so and do something meaningfull. Everything is setup right, tools are ready and sharp etc. The next phase in the project demands a new setup. Sometimes I am all eager for that next step, sometimes I am just not.

So, I travel, summer hollidays, rock climbing, gardening work. Whatever. The lust to do woodworking sure will come again. And sometimes i just need to give myself a kick in the back.

I sure never saw any place to go rock climbing when I visited The Netherlands!

I was there after I started to set up my new shop after I moved. Trying to get tool starage and organization done, so I could actually do wood working seemed likean endless task. Once I finally got going, I can now see the end of the tunnel and hope to finally work wood and instead of plywood!

[steven c newman]

Right now, my "block" has more to do with.Uncle Charles Horse......Very hard to get any work done, when even the toes start to cramp up.....

[Patrick Chase]

Yes, I absolutely suffer from this. There are times when it turns my stomach to even think about going into the shop because I leave so much of myself there when working. I sometimes take a sabbatical from the shop for a few months or more. I haven't been in my shop for almost a year at this point (writing the book totally exhausted me) but I'm just about ready to go again.

I assume you're referring to "With Saw, Plane, and Chisel" there. If so I just bought it. I've only read partway, but I can completely understand how taking those projects to publication would have led to burnout. Great book!

[John C Cox]

I build guitars... One thing I learned is that sometimes you have to burn one.

It's important to give yourself permission to ditch a project when you have that block caused by stuff you don't like.... And it can be hugely cathartic to do so... The weight of the world lifted off your chest.....

And no.. When I say "burn one" - its not figurative...

[Patrick Chase]

Magnificent!

You should throw a couple Stanley transitionals on the pyre to complete the ceremony (scroll down to just above the entry for #21).

[Ted Phillips]

Whenever I get to this point - I clear my workbench and carve a few spoons. This hits the reset button on my old noggin' and gets me refreshed. Its amazing how simple, repeatable tasks that you've performed for years can have a therapeutic effect like this...

[ken hatch]

I build guitars... One thing I learned is that sometimes you have to burn one.

It's important to give yourself permission to ditch a project when you have that block caused by stuff you don't like.... And it can be hugely cathartic to do so... The weight of the world lifted off your chest.....

And no.. When I say "burn one" - its not figurative...

John,

Your post brings a smile and good memories. I've always been into the "arts", making furniture, painting, photography and so on. For years I and my S.O. had a tradition of building a fire on the night of the Winter Solstice and dancing naked around it while burning all the bad work of the past year. It was quite cathartic and a hoot. Today would require use of eye bleach....The years have not been kind .

ken

[Megan Fitzpatrick]

Ayup. I've been needing to run base moulding for months now, so as to finish one of the two bathrooms I'm renovating. So that I can then move on to building a sink base for the other. Months.

[David Dalzell]

All the time. I design, re-design, and re-design. Then I start procrastinating. I know there must be a better, more elegant way of achieving my goals; but I am not sure how to proceed to a better design. Finally after many re-designs I will start. I don't suffer again until the time comes to cut dovetails for drawers or whatever else. I have no problem cutting and fitting dovetails. I just have a problem getting started on them. Fat, thin, how many per corner, spacing, etc. Once I get started I am fine. It's the getting started that is painful. I also do woodworking strictly as a hobby. Everything I make is for family and friends. I am not under any pressure for time or finances. The upside of all of this is that procrastinating can be enjoyable once you get good at it. I am very good at it.