Anybody seen my motivation? I seem to have lost it.

Just ordered $150 worth of forge building supplies from hightemptools. Another $50-75 worth of local parts and I could be good to go. Maybe that'll fire me up.... lol, see what I did there.
 
Yea Jason !! I was going to mention that . Get your forge up and running . Forging is fun and it will breath new life into you !
 
Jason you've got "yellow dog" do anything else for a while, it will come back.
When I hunt ducks for a month straight I have to take a day off now and then.
Ken.
 
How about feeling somewhat the opposite way...I mean going into your shop and working on two or three projects including one you promised to make and feeling like it has been forever since you hunted, fished, or even just gone somewhere and shot a rifle or pistol that you like. Since I have been making knives I feel like some things are being passed by and I will regret it. Some guys have a midlife crisis and I understand that and have seen it but this is a tiny bit different. I'm not complaining because I can do what I like but sometimes when working in the shop I feel a little blue about not doing other things. Usually holding a warm knife at the end of day makes it worthwhile but I think the customers are getting a hell of a deal on the knives considering the work , burned fingers, barked knuckles, and dust in every pore. The other price we pay is summed up in an old saying that I will probably misquote but it goes something like " The man who works for himself has a never ending taskmaster" I can't be the only one who feels like this, can I?
 
I have not done much in the shop for several years now other than grinding out a few as favors after having been knifemaking since the early 80's. The steam has gone out of me, perhaps its age or engaging in retirement after undergoing surgery that has left me living with a colostomy. I enjoy not having to endlessly clean the shop and house from the filth that comes with stock removal despite the dust collection apparatus. I also enjoy not having to inhale it either.

With retirement I thought I would continue to expand on knifemaking, but I found myself doing other things now, and these interests include video photography and spending more time out doors and with family. Generally speaking I enjoy life in the slow lane. Due to health and age I simply do not have the level of energy to do all the things I would like to do which includes knifemaking. It takes me longer to cut and pile the wood needed to heat the place and the yard work. In winter I like to spend more time on my crosscountry skis.

As life goes on interests tend to change and branch out in other directions. No I will not dismantle the knife shop. All my tools are there, and should the itch arise I can spend time there, and also use the shop for other work as well.
 
Take a week off. Then make a practice quillion dagger. I did one, and it sucked big time. I am planning another one as soon as the current order is complete.

Plan b: go to a hammer in.
 
When I get tired of making knives for runs/orders I go my hobby... making new knives! I always enjoy coming up with a new CAD design or grinding a new pattern freehand.

Sometimes I get caught up in side hobbies which is a good thing too. :)

Lately I have been working like crazy, 13 ten hour days every two weeks and I almost have a hard time taking the one day off, folders are going well and they are such a huge goal I have been extremely motivated.
 
So far a few things have worked good for me:

-Buy super nice piece(s) of wood/handle material
-Dagger
-Shop equipment improvement/maintenance
-cleaning (sometimes very relaxing, always satisfying)
-make a "me" knife, something where you absolutely don't care whether it sells or is well recieved
 
^ Outstanding post!

A clean shop is always a big motivator.
 
Thanks!

A couple of mine were already mentioned, but they work well for me also.

I was going to add, and this was a pretty big one for me: put on some tunes. Preferably something that you love but haven't listened to for a while.

Not everyone likes music in the shop, and some only do sometimes, but I find the right rockin' tunes playing can really help pull me out of a slump.

I'm usually so busy just trying to get work done that I can't be bothered trying to put on music, but it really can help sometimes.



Another thing I wanted to add... I go through "waves of engagement" with my customers, not on purpose, but just I go through phases where I am super busy and burned out on dozens of daily emails.

I've found that touching base with past customers or those waiting on projects, they can often be very excited about their own project or desire, and that excitement is extremely contagious.

Sometimes a single excited email from a customer is enough to pull me out of a bad slump.
 
When I get burnt out, I just stop making knives for a while.

After a week or two, I'm usually ready to get back into the shop.

Planning a knife related project that you would ordinarily never do seems to help also.
 
Hi, maybe find someone who does whatever your opinion of better work is, to inspire you and have something to strive for, or perhaps my knife collecting catnip, finding a new steel you havnt tried that may make you itch to test?
 
I like to draw new knives when I'm in a rut around the shop. Or, sandblast something. I like doing that too.
 
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