. . . "but can I do it?"
Even though you may never have laid a brick, cut a board, or even
built a bird house, it is probable that you can develop into a very
clever and competent craftsman. To anyone who is uncertain, we offer
the assurance that we have seen dozens of office workers, or others who
earned their livings by the fruit of their minds rather than by the products of their hands, become very competent craftsmen with a bit of
practice. Anyone who has ordinary intelligence-and a great many professional craftsmen have very ordinary intelligences indeed-anyone
who also possesses a desire to work with his hands and in addition has
a degree of patience so that he will allow those hands the time to learn
to coordinate with his brain; in short, anyone at all can learn to build
competently. The important thing is to make a start . . .
. . . "where shalll begin?"
If you have never done any woodworking before, we suggest that you
choose one of the small, simple projects. Perhaps one of those under the
heading of "Little Projects" would be a good starting point. If you are
a novice at masonry work, then one of the smaller, simpler projects in
this category would be a logical and intelligent choice. Choose one
that is not so big that much advance practice will be required to assure
its competent rendering. Otherwise, as you construct you may also be
building a splendid inferiority complex for yourself which will result
in your abandoning the project altogether.
But if you start in a small way, take your time so that you learn as
you go, and pick up speed as your mind and muscles learn the rhythm
of the work, you may very well develop into the best craftsman on the
block.
Women, too, can build many of the projects in this book. More and
more women today are learning that building is not solely the man's job.
They are finding creative joys in woodworking, in bricklaying, in creating Pebble Mosaics, and in many other fields of craftsmanship. Wives
are helping husbands in these activities, too, and in this cooperation
finding deep, rich, and lasting satisfactions in working to make the
family home the individual, original place it should be. Not since the
pioneer woman assisted her husband as he felled the trees, adzed the
logs, and sawed the lumber with which to build their home have
American families enjoyed such family effort. And frequently today the
children get into the act, too, and prove that they have an interest in
the home.
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