Just Keep Creating
Steven Pressfield's The War of Art (not to be confused with Art of War) always sits out on my shelf. I try to read it once a year. The subject is what the author calls Resistance. The hidden force that keeps us all stuck, scared of our creative endeavors, the force that powers our inner critic.
Rick Rubin's The Creative Act is one of my most gifted books. The main point is that all humans are creative beings. There are no "creatives" and the rest of us.
Both books are written in the format of short chapters; meditations on a collection of ideas. The most simple and valuable learning from these meditations for me are:
Creating is essential to being human.
Creating is hard.
We must keep an eye on the end goal and consistently overcome Resistance.
prototype door
The first time Gerald wanted to build a high-performance wood door, I knew this would be a test and a turning point. The precision required for a triple-sealed, multipoint locking door that withstands the test of time and use, built custom without decades of experience, was a monumental challenge. To then also step up the performance with Gutex and Pro Clima and build in a custom rainscreen cladding that makes the door disappear when closed... color me impressed, yet equally skeptical that this would work.
A series of the most detailed 1:1 design drawings I'd ever seen, deep learning about hinge and hardware options, and it was clear this had a shot. Fast forward, and the result was one of the most interesting, well-built, and highest performing doors around.
finding the limits
The current door in production aims to deliver the same performance while elevating the design details to the maximum. An impossibly simple-looking door that creates the illusion of thick, solid chunks of wood, featuring a brass semi-circle handle, hidden hinges, and lock hardware, along with nearly invisible triple gaskets, without compromising the original's impressive performance and durability.
hello Resistance
Whenever we commit to pushing our limits, that old friend Resistance tends to show up. Self-doubt, thoughts of insanity, and the drive to back off the challenge run amok. If we are tuned in, we also recognize this as a sign that we are on the right path.
don't forget Grit
In the end, all that is required is showing up consistently to do the work. Keep sight of the bold goal and commit to getting there. You can assess the sanity next time, from the spot of completion.
PS
Follow along with our series of videos as we cover our experience of creating this door for our Dancing Raven project. Time will tell what the next round looks like for our Sunny Home No. 1 build.