“Pain is knowledge rushing in to fill a gap. When you stub your toe on the foot of the bed, that was a gap in knowledge. And the pain is a lot of information really quick.” - Jerry Seinfeld, Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee S6, E5.
Any accomplished craftsperson would know this well. The mental pain of failure is a feeling that we never forget, and is one of the biggest factors that pushes me to learn more and improve myself as a guitar technician, and as a person every day. Admitting to failure is never easy, however over the years, time has taught me to embrace failures and to cherish each one as a learning opportunity. The lessons best learnt at the shop are from mistakes where I figured in hindsight exactly what went wrong or what was missing. Ironically, the more I learn, the more I find myself lacking knowledge. Learning is perhaps one of the most humbling experiences I feel at the shop. More often than not, I find myself sharing stories of failures with the boys at the shop, rather than step-by-step instructions. The hope is that the shop environment is one where they would feel comfortable having failures in, and learning from them.
The idea of mentoring young people who have the passion to learn but very minimal technical expertise is still an experiment for us. We all know our part in this little experiment, and are excited for how it will work out. I’ve always believed that in this line of work, one’s character and personality are far more important attributes to one’s growth, over any technical skill. Over the years of meeting other successful figures in the industry, one common attribute is clear. The determination to learn, and the constant chase for deeper understanding.
The prelude to failure is often hubris and a false sense of accomplishment. Lack of knowledge, preparation and understanding of the subject, are often the ingredients for failure. So as a teacher and/or mentor, I feel that my primary objective is to share with the boys the knowledge and understanding of the subject, to share my past failures with them, and for them to hopefully apply the information on whatever it is they are trying to achieve.
I am so grateful for my team of open-minded staff who are constantly reminding me what it feels like to fail and to break new grounds, teaching me to see things from different perspectives, even when they don’t know it. Thank you boys.
The dream for Nameless Guitars is to one day become a workshop where open-minded people can learn about the craft, and more importantly, learn to apply themselves. Hopefully we’ll all get there one day soon.