The First Cut: Beginning as Courage Disguised as Clumsiness
There's always a moment at the beginning of a new piece, just before the first cut, when hesitation creeps in. The blank sits on the lathe, raw and silent, and you stand there with the gouge poised, wondering if you're about to make something beautiful or destroy something that could have been.
That hesitation is the first obstacle every maker meets. And the only way through it is to begin.
I've watched hundreds of students face this moment. Some circle the lathe warily, check the fixings twice, half-expecting the wood to fling across the room. Others dive in too boldly, pushing before they've felt what the wood can give. Neither approach is wrong, but both are part of learning. What matters is that they start.
Beginning is courage disguised as clumsiness. You won't feel brave while doing it, but you are. The first attempts will wobble, vibrate, and probably go wrong. But once that first line is cut, fear turns into curiosity, and curiosity is what carries you forward.
The hardest work is already done once you've made that first mark. The wood is no longer precious. It’s workable. The blank is no longer intimidating, but responsive. You've entered into a conversation with the material, and that's where all the learning lives.
"Fail forward." If you're going to make mistakes, and you will, then make them while moving toward your goal, not while standing still. The first cut might not be perfect, but it's progress. The second cut will be informed by the first. Each iteration teaches you something, but only if you start in the first place.
Readiness is a myth. You'll probably never feel completely prepared, never have all the knowledge you think you need, never be sure of the outcome. If you wait for certainty, you'll wait forever. The work doesn't begin when you're confident – it begins when you're curious enough to try despite the doubt.
So pick up the gouge. Touch it to the spinning wood. Learn more in that instant than all your preparation has taught you.
The first cut doesn't have to be good. It just has to happen.
Class Recommendation: If you've been thinking about starting, our Two Day Beginners Class at The Woodturning School gives you space to make those first cuts with guidance.
Book: https://www.thewoodturning.school/beginners/two-day-beginners-class
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@msabansmith
Cross-Reference: Related: 'Why Learning With Your Hands Changes Everything' on The Woodturning School blog (Tuesday 6th January)