This book about chairs has changed how I build boats

I have never built a chair. And it will probably be a while before I do. But still, Chairmaker's Notebook by Peter Galbert is perhaps the one book that has had the biggest impact on my attitude towards woodworking.

Here's what Peter Galbert writes in his afterword:

"It is amusing when people attribute the quality of patience to the work I do because it's just the opposite. I want a huge bang for my buck when it comes to my focus; and while making chairs, I rarely have to work for it. Of course, the proof of my time in the shop are the finished chairs, but they leave. And what's left is me, my tools and the wood. How I feel and what I do in my shop is truly what I work to refine and sustain. Perhaps this sounds indulgent, but when I reflect on what started me on this path - my desire to work closely with wood - it seems reasonable that guarding and developing my interest is the best way to proceed."

This paragraph hit me like a hammer when I first read it. Focusing on process first and product second. Of course it is the right thing to do, when you do something you love. 

But, living in a stressful, performance-focused world, it can feel counter-intuitive - even shameful at times - not to focus on outcomes and results.

So this is really something I have to work on constantly. But ever since I first read Chairmaker's Notebook it has been my top ambition. And it is my goal that a clear process focus will be a defining characteristic for the Small Boat School, too. 

- Mikkel Pagh