Nostalgia, Part 2 of 4

​​I had a pretty difficult and emotionally unstable childhood. I always felt like I was missing something (any other Enneagram 4’s out there?) and needed to find some kind of creative outlet that allowed me to express myself and do something that took my mind off of the difficulties that I faced. Like father, like son, I started wood working at a young age and that allowed me to create something and learn a practical skill that would be useful outside of my creative endeavors. When I really started to take woodworking seriously I was in the deepest part of my depression. I was 16 years old, I didn’t see a way out other than suicide. It was a difficult time, for me and my family. Raising two kids is hard enough, and having to raise one as depressed as I was, I can’t imagine how difficult that was for my parents. I wanted to play sports but due to my depression I became so behind in school work, my GPA was never high enough. Going to an art magnet high school I was not able to compete with my peers in basically any forum of art, I became really hard on myself because I wanted to create but never felt good enough. Wood working became my outlet. It was a way for me to channel those emotions into something beautiful. Here at my father’s Warehouse I have the space to leave my depression at the door and focus on something else. I worked mostly on a wood lathe, where I created bowls among other things. It was a unique skill that none of my friends had. It became a special thing for me because it set me a part, and at that stage in my life that is what I was looking for.