My Ultimate Maker

I have found the love of making. I see the value in it. The thinking, the trying and  the failing. I think of myself am a neuvo Maker because I haven’t always been a ‘Maker’.

Back in the mid -late 80s when I was in middle and high school we had these maker spaces but they were just divided into classes- Woodwork, Drafting, Metalwork and Automotive.  We learned skills that were related to one another but never were connected this in the class. That never bothered me much as I didn’t like any of them. I was too afraid that the machines might lop my fingers off so I couldn’t play bass guitar in my band or not allow me to hold my hockey stick for a game.  I just wasn’t … a maker! Thats how I grew up. Not a Maker guy.  I think in Grade 12, I was even relegated from the Tool Room to – just go somewhere else…..so I did and studied English Lit or read books.

However, believe it or not, I come from a long line of Makers. My Dad and Grandad are the ultimate makers. My Dad is an inventor and holds many patents on his inventions. My Grandad as well was such an amazing Maker, in my life could fix anything. Have you ever had those people in your life where you have some broken thing and you want to throw it away and someone says..I can fix it! That was my Grandpa. He was the ultimate maker- his workshop was fill of bits and pieces, nut, bolts, tools.. anyone could imagine. But more importantly, it was the magic you felt when you entered that small crowded, greasy, dusty workshop embedded in my backyard. It was the magic of fixing anything that made it special. The fascinating of having all the tools, bits and bobs at your fingertips to make it work. Tinkering. A kind of workshop MacGyver would be proud of. Of creating anything. Grandpa loved to provoke me with stuff to fix or tinker with.

So now Ive come full circle with the whole maker movement. Im learning so much. Im learning so much I don’t know. Im learning with the kids.  I get excited when the kids ask questions that I don’t know and Im excited when I don’t know why either. We find out together.  In fact, I love that  kids come up with these questions. I don’t have all the answers. 

We are all Makers.