"Gary Rogowski leads us gently but surely upon the path to a type of success
W. May not have previously considered. (Hint: it involves blisters.)"
-
Nick Offerman, woodworker and author of "Paddle Your Own Canoe"
In an era when there are countless competing claims on one's attention, how does one cultivate the internal focus to be creative? Master furniture craftsman, author and thinker Gary Rogowski offers an answer from personal experience in his new book "Handmade: Creative Focus in the Age of Distraction" (Linden Publishing, December 1, 2017).
A new classic in the tradition of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" and "Shop Class as Soulcraft," "Handmade" will help creative people in any field reconnect to the source of their creativity and revitalize their creative energy.
In "Handmade," Rogowski confronts the greatest obstacles to creative focus in the modern age: distraction; pointless busyness; fear of failure; and the devil of self-doubt that tells you your work doesn't matter. "Handmade" shows that the path around these obstacles is the act of creative work itself. The discipline of working with one's hands, mind and heart to create unnecessarily beautiful things shapes the builder into a more complete human being.
In prose that is as honest and full of integrity as the furniture he makes, Rogowski tells the story of how he became a craftsman through years of persistent labor, which taught him patience, resilience, tolerance for failure, and a love of pursuing beauty and mastery for their own sakes.
Rogowski's account of his self-trained apprenticeship in woodworking is a novel in itself. It's a story not just about learning to build furniture, but learning how to build a life. Starting out as a young, intellectual college graduate with no formal training in woodworking, Rogowski was drawn to furniture building as a way of living life on his own terms. Rogowski writes frankly of his struggle to build an unusual career and cope with money troubles and self-doubt...but also of the joys of stubbornly following his own path and the clarity drawn from his firm devotion to independence of thought and action.
In telling his stories, Rogowski reflects deeply on the lessons he has learned and presents a series of profound meditations on the eternal value of work, creativity, human fallibility, and the dogged pursuit of quality work.
Rogowski doesn't pretend that there are tricks or shortcuts to working creatively, and "Handmade" doesn't offer a program of mechanical exercises. Instead, Rogowski tells how he learned that the only sure road to creative, independent work is to take the harder path, to sweat the details, and to allow the process of working to change oneself. Or as Rogowski puts it, "I worked. I paid attention to the work. Everything else happened along the way while I wasn't looking."
Part autobiography, part guide to creativity, and part guide to living an authentic life, "Handmade" is a book for craftspeople, artists and anyone who seeks clarity, purpose and creativity in their work.
About the Author:
Gary Rogowski is a furniture maker, designer, teacher and author. He is also a playwright, essayist, and novelist. His previous books include the best-selling "Complete Illustrated Guide to Joinery." Rogowski is the founder and director of The Northwest Woodworking Studio, A School for Woodworkers.
Book Details:
Title: Handmade: Creative Focus in the Age of Distraction
Author: Gary Rogowski
Publisher: Linden Publishing
Publication Date: December 1, 2017
Price: $18.95 US
Categories: Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork • Self-Help / Creativity
ISBN 978-1-61035-314-4
6" x 9" trade paperback, 180 pages.
Available from woodworking craft supply stores, bookstores, online booksellers and Linden Publishing (1-800-345-4447, WoodworkersLibrary.com).
Media Contact: Jaguar Bennett
Linden Publishing
Publicity@QuillDriverBooks.com
(800) 345-4447
**Review copy available on request.**
.png)
