
My First Student
Like many craftspeople, I made a fortune early on and didn’t know what to do with my time and all that money. Nah, I’m kidding. The economy makes puppets of us all. I had to work hard to stay solvent enough to lose only a little money each month. I sold cutting boards, plant stands, and hand mirrors at craft fairs making these quick little items that brought in a small bit of cash. After some years, I thought that teaching might help my income stream. The very first woodworking class I taught was held at the Multnomah Arts Center in SW Portland. Their woodshop and the dust-making sat down three flights of stairs in the basement of an old house on the main drag there. Smart folks at the MAC. Douglas Janacek was one of three students enrolled in that class. I don’t remember the other two. Why do I