John, of Dutchess County, New York, asks, “It seems like you've been working a lot lately, or at least that multiple projects you're involved with have been released almost concurrently (Pam & Tommy, The Great North, The Resort, A League of Their Own). You've also got the Lagavulin and Donkey Thoughts machines humming, and are continuously involved in your woodshop.
My current work/life balance suits my needs. You've spoken in the past about your and Megan's "workaholic" tendencies. What do you think drives that? Is it a product of your upbringing? Are the artistic opportunities so tremendous that they are tough to turn down? Is it a combination of art and economics? Does "Hollywood" ever pressure your choices? Something else? From my perspective, your project selection has a very high quality hit ratio. To that end, I really enjoy this endeavor.”
John, thank you very kindly for your questions.
I love to work mainly because it is extremely rewarding in many ways. My work as a carpenter led me to the work of Greene & Greene in Pasadena, Sam Maloof, and George Nakashima, among others. I featured George and his work in my second book, Gumption, as well as his daughter Mira, who is running his shop and carrying on his legacy with her own furniture designs in a similar vernacular. I also included Mira and her work in my third book, Good Clean Fun.
Also, “idle hands are the devil’s playground.”
Also, a good beer is nice, but it’s much nicer after 8 hours of toil.
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
—Mary Oliver
Love,
If you consumed this post, or the free sample, and thought, “holy crap, this rambling donkey is delivering exactly the kind of content I need to thrive”, I would frankly be pretty surprised. But I guess it takes all kinds, so if that’s the case, this here orange button is the one you want to hit to share it with a pal. Or of course, with an enemy if you despise the chin-wagging.
Please leave a question in the comments and tell me where you’re from. I am literally nothing without you.
Nice Work