Exclusive video: Spring Make 2019
Added 2019-05-03 13:27:54 +0000 UTCFriends:
I hope you all had a great week. Me, I've got a back-hoe and a giant hole in my front yard, so it's wild times over here.
Anyway, I got to spend last weekend at Spring Make, here in Cleveland. It was an amazing experience and my business will never be the same.
The conference had a hefty attendance fee and I only got to go because of the support of my Patrons. So I made a quick vlog to reflect on what I learned, the people I met and getting to hang out with Jimmy Diresta.
Hope you enjoy hearing about this fantastic experience. Maybe next year, I'll see some of you there.
Have a great weekend!
--Rex
Comments
Alex: I've been there (obviously). Ditching my career at 36 was the hardest thing I've ever done (much harder than getting a PhD). But the takeaway from my story is that change is possible. People can make their lives better, especially when they have some education and resources to draw on. Anyway, you're welcome at my table anytime.
Rex Krueger
2019-05-14 10:36:24 +0000 UTCI'm currently at a bit of a turning point where I am going to have to find a new job (story version: fuck management), I'm really glad I watch this video today, Your story has hit me in the heart and reminded me that work is supposed to be fun, it's supposed to make you feel good, and it would have been really easy to find another job with a shit manager and asshole colleagues. I don't know how to thank you enough for being you, for making this video, and for making all of your other videos. I guess more importantly, GO YOU!!! It's really impressive to hear your story from english teacher to youtube educator, You are an inspiration. You're diresta story is brilliant I hope to get to tell a similar story about sitting down at a table with you one day.
Alex Southwell
2019-05-14 01:57:10 +0000 UTCI'm pretty nice. You're welcome at my table anytime!
Rex Krueger
2019-05-04 13:33:36 +0000 UTCMan I WISH I could make good videos about my fabrication projects. I've done a bunch. No one watches them. Also, the sad reality of custom work is that people generally order boring things. Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts about professions. It's a long game and you're right; everything I did before shaped who I am today. No regrets!
Rex Krueger
2019-05-04 13:31:00 +0000 UTCMy thoughts about what you said in your video, (you actually came to the same conclusions), is that indeed you were in the wrong profession. When most of what you do is against your liking you should be doing something else. And your thoughts when you were in grad school were actually spot on in your case. However, I do understand your hesitation. You've already invested a lot in what you were setting out to do. You don't just change that... And you were right about that. But don't forget, there may be a number of other things that you could do and those could also be things you will love to do. If you knew about them. However: Everything you have done before this, has shaped you into who you are today. You also say you're going to have to say no to jobs, because you can't combine it with your channel. Butt have you thought about filming those jobs, and turn them into tutorials? That way you can do both... Just my thoughts about it. In the end you will have to decide what you want to do, and how you're going to do it...
Frans van Ballegooijen
2019-05-04 11:58:58 +0000 UTCWith a simple box fan and the door on your dust collector open, you can channel sawdust through the flame and save on pre-heating.
Matthew Leigh
2019-05-04 09:02:04 +0000 UTCThe Diresta story is epic. I really feel good that you had that experience.... One day I might sit down at your table somewhere and I'm sure it will feel that good too :) Unless you are really an ass in person... :)
Jason Brooks
2019-05-04 01:50:19 +0000 UTCIt was just regular fan-girling. Seriously, it was like I was talking to a movie star.
Rex Krueger
2019-05-03 23:12:04 +0000 UTCYou're VERY welcome. I'm just you think I'm a good communicator!
Rex Krueger
2019-05-03 23:11:29 +0000 UTCI'm not throwing stones. English was boring. Boredom is subjective. If I say something was boring, then it's implicit that I mean boring /for me/. I'm not taking pot-shots; that's just how it was in my experience. If you're finding it interesting, then that's AMAZING. I'm really happy for you and I mean that. But part of what I do on this channel is tell the truth as ethically as I can. I gotta do that even where my old profession is concerned. BTW, congrats on the book. It really looks excellent!
Rex Krueger
2019-05-03 22:07:25 +0000 UTCI'm a little nervous about running an oxy rig in what's basically a wood shop. I know arc processes can be dangerous, too, but open flame in the shop freaks me out.
Rex Krueger
2019-05-03 22:04:18 +0000 UTCHey Rex, you mentioned wanting to do more TIG welding after trying it at Spring Make. Have you looked into doing oxy/acetylene gas welding? Very similarly methodology to TIG, a bit cheaper, and you can use a cutting torch when not welding.
KosmicValkyrie
2019-05-03 17:04:32 +0000 UTCIf you're bored, then you're in the wrong place, but that doesn't make the place itself boring. One of your patrons *is* a professor of English. And I wrote a book about makers: "The Amazing Crawfish Boat" (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Crawfish-Folklore-Studies-Multicultural-ebook/dp/B01F994H64/r)" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Crawfish-Folklore-Studies-Multicultural-ebook/dp/B01F994H64/r)</a> -- and I learned how to weld and re-work hydraulic cylinders along the way. I also make code and cabinets as well as things with words. (Teaching is less interesting because I'm a studio artist and not a performing artist.) So, maybe a bit more thought before you start throwing stones? Otherwise, a lot of people, including me, are happy you found your place. And, you know, maybe that training in English is what makes your video production so good? (And, trust me, I almost dropped out of graduate school to make furniture, so I'm not going to hit you over head with an oak stave, but it's really important to appreciate that there are a lot of places in the world, and it's a matter of finding our own.)
John Laudun
2019-05-03 14:28:33 +0000 UTCSounds like it’s time to take on an Apprentice, Rex. Have them do the bulk of the grunt work for a few profitable commissions (planing, sanding etc) to keep the cash flow positive while you create content around it. I recommend looking at a channel called Crimson Guitars on YouTube - I started watching him about 7 years ago as he was building custom guitars in a shed in his garden... fast forward to today and his company produces production guitars, has a school and a tool shop. He has about a dozen employees but he’s still the guy who produces video content. He talks about the journey a lot and it has a lot of parallels with what you’re talking about.
A1BASE
2019-05-03 14:12:43 +0000 UTCCongrats, I wondered how you honed such great presentation skills. Your prior career will do great things for you in this work now. It isn’t what you do, it is the passion you display and communicate that makes your site compelling. Thank you,
Philip Hendrickson
2019-05-03 14:05:04 +0000 UTCThat was some of the manliest fan girling I have ever seen. Haha but seriously im looking forward to the "doubled down" Rex, because its been damn good content so far can only imagine whats to come
Josh Miller
2019-05-03 13:54:22 +0000 UTCPitey it only just came in. I have to go to work now. But wil look at it first thing tomorrow morning when I get home.
Frans van Ballegooijen
2019-05-03 13:37:59 +0000 UTC
