Last night after work, I headed down to our local Maker Space here in Knoxville and learned some very basic blacksmithing skills in a pretty nifty little smithy that’s a short walk from the rest of the Knox Makers facilities.
I made a nail from mild steel.
One single solitary nail. And it took me a while. There was plenty of sweat — but no blood or tears.
Part of the joy was in slowing down. Being right there in the moment, focused on one thing. The forge, the hammer, the steel, the anvil.
The feedback is immediate and physical in a way almost nothing in my professional life is. You hit it wrong, you can see it. You hit it right, you can feel it.
It also gave me real appreciation for the hundreds of years of practice, innovation, and accumulated skill that humans have poured into that trade — and for the effort modern-day folks put into keeping it alive. The people at Knox Makers who run those sessions know their craft. They teach it generously.
And honestly? It made me deeply appreciate our local hardware stores. I’ll never look at a box of nails the same way.
Knox Makers, if you’re not familiar, is a welcoming, weird, wild bunch of subject matter experts in just about any domain you could name — kind, helpful, and cool without any hidden agendas. I’m lucky to have them nearby, and lucky to be a member.
Get out from behind your desk and go learn how to make something new — or old. Work to live.
Originally shared on LinkedIn.