Hello, Ganoksinners. (?)
For the past year I have been working earnestly towards building a
small, specialized, rather brutish on-line jewelry trade. At almost
exactly the point that the project began to show real promise, my
life turned positively Lovecraftian. The less that is said about
this, the better.
As I look forward for options, I see only two: Return to work
overseas, where I once taught ESL with my MA in Applied Linguistics,
or continue down the path of the craftsman.
The truth is that there is no true choice. In the craft in which we
find ourselves, I have found an enjoyment and satisfaction that I
have not found elsewhere. I am intent upon the furtherance of it at
almost any cost.
Yet, the circumstances in which I find myself have closed the door
of my workshop (the wife has commandeered the house), and I cannot
continue to work. And so I turn to the ever-helpful Ganoksin
community for options.
I do not know what apprenticeships exist. I have dug around the
archives, and I see mentions of them here and there. But I do not
know if any of you are currently open to such an arrangement. Here is
what I can offer:
I would be willing to work for free for a number of months in an
effort to show my earnestness. I have a rather small nest-egg
accumulated whereby I might be able to support myself during this
time. It would be my great hope that it might blossom into a
minimum-wage position within two or three months, but I am open on
this account.
I am certainly not above the mundane tasks needed in a functioning
shop. Sweeping, cleaning windows, delousing beds by hand - whatever
it might take, I would be open to it.
I would very much appreciate having a few hours a day in the shop to
continue to work on the project which I was working on previous to
the collapse. I have a full range of tools which I would be happy to
bring into any situation - Durston mill, a Facetron, an engraving
setup, etc. - with which I would be happy to rely upon in order to
work on my own goods.
If none of this is possible, then I have another question:
I was once working in a workshop attached to my house. I have never
looked for outside options as far as spaces go. What are one’s
options when it comes to fabricating jewelry? Where does one go for
200 square feet of workroom? Warehouse spaces? I don’t honestly even
know where to begin to look.
If you’d like to reach me via e-mail, I can be reached at [tom (at)
dwarvenmorning (dot) com]. If not, that’s okay too.
Many thanks in advance for any help or advice which you might be
able to offer.
Warmest regards,
Tom