Inspiration is a strange beast. One minute you’re going through the motions of your daily routine and BAM there it is, like your whole life has been preparing you for this moment.
Do you choose to let it pass and file it away as one of things you’ll have time for one day?
Or do you grab the bull by the horns, stare fate in the face and say, challenge accepted?
Welcome to Revidiylized
It isn’t often that an idea hits me out of the blue that inspires as much excitement as the idea for this blog.
On the daily commute from my 40+ hour a week job I am usually trying to remember what bills need to be paid, what the schedule for week with the family entails, or planning and designing the next phase of the renovation process of our 1877 Victorian home.
On that day in particular I was playing back a conversation I had at a birthday party my son had been invited to. The parents were making small talk to pass the time and someone asked how the home projects were going. I mentioned we were doing all the work ourselves. It seemed like everyone there thought I was either crazy or a magician.
“You know how to do all that?”
“I wish I could do that!”
“I wouldn’t even know where to start”
It honestly baffled me that these people who were educated and very capable didn’t know where to find the resources to help them with projects at home or were too afraid to mess something up to give it try.
Then I realized I have a leg up.
I grew up with a Dad that somehow knew how to fix or do everything, and he was willing to take the time to teach and let me succeed or fail.
I have been working with my hands and creating for as long as I can remember. As a child through young adulthood I was building forts in the woods, winning pinewood derby cars, websites, music, and skateboard ramps.
In early adulthood I got involved in building and refinishing custom cars and hotrods and spent a summer off from college working as a carpenter building log homes.
I married a girl who knows her way around tools and construction. She spent her childhood helping her father in a welding and metal fabrication shop. Together we have renovated every space we have lived in.
I also work in the technical portion of the entertainment industry that requires knowledge of electrical engineering, product design, carpentry, metal work, networking, and software design.
On top of that, I also inherited my father’s innate ability to “fake it till you make it.” Many projects I have started and completed I have jumped in headfirst without any prior knowledge.
They all fell in to two categories:
wildly successful,
or complete learning experience.
But, as each project comes to a close, I hone a skill set. Sometimes with little effort, other times I spent weeks trying to correct a big mistake or troubleshoot a problem with no clear solution.
I say all of this because I believe everyone is capable of successful life and home revidiylization. The main thing it requires is the desire to learn and the realization that there is no failure, just a learning experience.
Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs. -Henry Ford
So, what is this blog about?
Revidiylized is still a working concept with the basis being a blog centered around DIY home renovation, restoration, and wood/metal projects. I have a love for all things old and always see the potential in the underdog. Sometimes that underdog is a pile of scrap/trash lumber other times it’s the person who doesn’t believe they can complete a project.
Mission Statement: To inspire, support, and teach DIYers at all levels of experience how to confidently and successfully take on any project while also promoting sustainability and community outreach.
I want this to be a place for beginners and professionals alike to hone skills, discuss proper methods, and to create a shared learning environment and support system.
Obviously, I am in the beginning stages, but I envision weekly blog posts featuring:
- Basic to Advanced Tool Knowledge
- Product reviews
- How-to segments
- Chronicles of our home revidiylization
- Interviews with experts and other DIYers
- Plans for DIY projects you can complete.
The great thing about revidiylized is the opportunity for collective intelligence but, for that to work I need your help.
The top 4 way for you to get involved:
- Subscribe to our mailing list to stay up to date with the latest news and posts.
- Feedback through the comments section at the bottom of each post is encouraged and appreciated.
- You can contact me directly here or through the form on my contact page with ideas, suggestions or complaints.
- Help spread the word by liking revidiylized on social media.
You made it to my blog and read to the end of my first post. Is that fate knocking on your door?
Is today the day you:
Begin to develop the skills to make your dream home a reality?
Start that project you’ve been putting off for when you have the extra time?
Help the next guy with advice you have from previous experiences?
Will you accept the challenge?