Marine Fabricator March/April 2022 - 44

Shop Talk Business
Mistakes are
golden opportunities
Finding the creativity in fabrication frustrations.
by Whitney Carman
A
" This process of trial
and error can be
inconvenient, but
it is essential, and
mistakes are actually
progress in disguise. "
re you dogged by missteps?
Do you perceive your mistakes
as creative opportunities or
simply as failures? Are the challenges
of custom work creating stress in the
rest of your life? And fi nally, where
do you as a fabricator fi nd purpose in
your life? I can't speak for everyone,
but I discover mine in every problem I
encounter in a project that doesn't have
a normal solution.
I believe that marine fabricators
are artists! When approaching work
creatively, skilled fabricators often try
many solutions. Like a child at play,
they need to be fearless at the prospect
of failure. With the goal of reaching
a balance of function, design and
longevity, this process of trial and error
can be inconvenient, but it is essential,
and mistakes are actually progress in
disguise. If you think too critically, you
will constrict your potential.
Pace yourself
The pace at which individual projects
progress will always vary, and it's easy
to lose hope with projects that move
slowly. Remind yourself that you can
do whatever it takes to fi nish the job.
That said, it is always important to
avoid potential performance traps. I
recommend protecting quality above
all else by posing one question to
clients before you accept the work:
" What is your time frame? " This allows
clients to decide if they want their
project done right or done right now.
44 Marine Fabricator | March/April 2022
At times, we all bite off more than we
can chew. When this happens, accept
the timeline, accept the stress, and do
your best. But I do not recommend too
much stress; it can have negative effects
on profi ts and creativity, and it can
also spoil hopes of motivating the next
generation to take part in the family
trade. Too many challenges can create a
vicious cycle. Nothing hurts more than
failing at something you are passionate
about and seeing your personal life
become collateral damage.
Mistakes are important teachers
Mistakes are the main source of a
fabricator's knowledge. Hopefully
things get easier when the years add
up, but understand, no one knows it
all. Take notes on your mistakes as if
you were a scientist and seek out and
learn from all the available industry
resources. I urge marine fabricators to
attend annual events like the Marine
Fabricators Association conference,
regional workshops and IFAI's Expo.
These specialized, creative events
are saturated with resources and
experienced, creative geniuses who love
to share what they know. But of course,
attending these events presents additional
challenges. How do we fi nd the time
and money to acquire experience and
knowledge by attending such events
while also making money? This gets us
back to that stress issue again. Where is
the enjoyment? How do we make a living
at our craft and still have a life?
Marine Fabricator March/April 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Marine Fabricator March/April 2022
