We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Logan Newman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Logan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
One of the statements I have heard from people who have seen my woodworking over the years is “you’re so talented.” I always respond the same way when I hear that and tell them ‘it’s not talent, its perseverance.” I have learned my craft through trial and error. For example, I learned the importance of accurate dimensions when I made a cedar blanket chest and it was much larger than I anticipated. It was so large my wife, our 70 pound dog, and I could all sit in it comfortably! This was definitely not the plan for this piece, but from that experience I learned the importance of accurate dimensions and an understanding of the space the piece will be in. The failures I have endured have helped me to grow as a woodworker and learn how to recognize potential issues and find ways to make things in the best way.
Some of the techniques I use are very classical, and some are unique to me. I think when you are making things you need to be able to think outside the box while also recognizing the reason many of the classic techniques are considered the “right way” to do things. I taught myself through trying things I thought of, or wanted to attempt, and seeing if it worked. Then I would discuss the ideas with friends who are also woodworkers. By doing this I can often see whether my way of doing something has any issues I haven’t thought of, or if any other way of doing it would be more appropriate. When I do this I not only examine possible issues, but I also learn new techniques. It’s important to remember that despite how much knowledge you may have, there will always be more to learn. As I’ve become more established, and been able to network, I’ve been able to learn techniques and styles of woodworking in a more collaborative way. I really enjoy this because learning from others and taking risks encourages me to keep growing as a woodworker.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Logan Newman and I am the owner/operator of Newman Specials Woodwork. For a full time job I am a high school teacher in a program I developed where students learn to make eyeglasses for their peers in our school district. I am a father of 2 teenagers and my spare time is dedicated to fulfilling custom order pieces. I started my woodworking journey as a way to make things I needed. Although I didn’t have any formal training in woodworking I had always enjoyed working with my hands and making things. As I made things for myself and my family, I would show it to different people and received a lot of compliments and requests for me to make items for other people. This recognition came to fruition when I was asked to come to a local wine bar hosting a small art show and set up a booth and sell items I made. From there I was asked to participate in a local summer art show and my business really got started. I made cutting boards, wine racks, and a table, which I sold at the show. I started getting more local commissions and quickly became busy with orders. Today I run a CNC, which allows me to cut designs that I often fill with epoxy, a laser engraver to engrave wood and other materials, and have created everything from cutting boards and small catchall trays, to wood and epoxy dining room tables, and mudroom lockers. I’ve been lucky enough to sell my items all over the world.
One of my favorite pieces to make is a high-end replica of Thomas Jefferson’s revolving bookstand. I’m very proud of these as they are made to be a beautiful piece of art to display books, combining both function with art. I carefully choose the wood I am using for these, looking for not only the right size, but grain patterns that will be beautiful when matched up with each other. It is not, however, just about the visual appeal of the piece, but also the tactile feel of it. Finishing the piece so that the grain comes to life and the whole object feels warm and comforting to the touch is just as important to me as the visual appeal.
There are lots of people who are amazing woodworkers – people who are creative and make beautiful pieces. I like to joke that you can shake a stick and 10 woodworkers will appear and tell you what type of wood it is. Something that I believe sets me apart from my peers is my focus on making pieces that aren’t just beautiful, but are functional and solve problems. When my wife and I redid our kitchen we wanted to make the space more open by getting rid of an island, but didn’t want to lose the extra counter space for special occasions. I was able to create an item that is able to double as a cabinet and a table. The door of the cabinet opens up normally most of the time but when you need the extra space, the frame can be pulled up and the door becomes the table top. Designing this piece, finding the best way to make it, and hanging it on the wall was a very powerful moment. This is now a main attraction in our kitchen and variations on this items are a favorite of mine to make.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Building a following on social media was something I struggled with early on. I have a decent sized following on Instagram and TikTok now and there are several things that I believe helped that happen. One thing was recognizing that posts on things I had made never received huge views, but showing a skill or jig that I made to help me make something did. I realized that I needed to stop focusing on WHAT I made and start sharing HOW I made it. There are a lot of people doing woodworking, but not everyone is at the same level. By focusing on education and skills necessary to successfully complete projects I have been able to teach people of all levels and grow my online following. One thing I really enjoy doing is making jigs that help me solve problems that come up while making projects. I relish the out of the box thinking necessary to find the solution to the problem and I love being able to share this idea with others. From my experience posting work that helps others improve their skills, provides them with ideas they can use in their own work, or inspires them in some way is what drives people to a social media page.
The other thing that has helped grow my community and helped teach me new skills is to be focused on being a part of the larger woodworking social community. I know lots of people who are proud that they follow only a handful of other creators, but they have a large follower base. To me this is the opposite of the social aspect of what we are doing – there is a reason it’s called SOCIAL media. The goal is not just to grow your following, but to be a part of a community of people with similar passions. I have a friend online who has a large Instagram following and one of the things that always impressed me was how he interacted with everyone on his page and on theirs, no matter the following count. I was impressed with that and try and do the same. I have met many people online that I consider real friends through various exchanges, despite having never met them in person. These interactions and conversations also help to build a following as they refer others to you and help introduce your work to others. This has also helped me make more sales as people recognize my work and the see the handiwork put into it.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
It took me a long time to really label myself as a person, but I came to realization recently that I am a Maker. I would say that I like to make things, but that is not quite accurate. I feel like I NEED to make things. I need to be creative and be able to produce new things. For me, the most rewarding aspect of creating, or being creative, is the duality of taking something that is an idea and making it solid and having that piece solve a problem. The problem could be how to make a table for a client that fits into the area and matches the style of the family. It might be the best way to make a piece that fits within a specific area for the clients and fits a specific need for them. I love to be able to think about the client’s space, think about their problem, and come up with a solution that helps them and then use my skills to make it.
I had a client come to me and say, “I want a piece that is a table when I need it and can fold up against the wall when I don’t.” After talking with him and looking at the area, I was able to solve multiple issues with a custom design of a table within a picture frame. When the table is folded up the bottom has a picture of the Boston skyline and looks like an art piece on the wall. When it is unfolded the table top has a mosaic design and the picture frame stays on the wall with a picture of the Boston Celtics retired jerseys showing. Making a piece that had never been done before was incredibly satisfying because I used both my skill and my creativity to solve the problems that the client set forth.
Another thing I find immensely rewarding is just the sheer joy of making something – taking an idea out of my head and making it come to life with my hands and skill. There have been many times when I had an idea that I wanted to build and I would play with it in my head, examining the different ways I might make it. I would take this idea and break it down to the simplest components and figure out the best way to make it. Having an idea, designing it, building it with my hands and utilizing skills gained through past successes and failures, and then watching it function the way that I envisioned it is an incredibly gratifying experience. The experience of this always makes me proud to call myself a Maker.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/newmanspecialswoodwork
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NewmanSpecialsWoodwork
- TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@newmanspecialswoodwork