It is Saturday in the wood shop and I'm still competing with the Chinese. Danish oil brings the color of the wood to life, protects it from greasy fingerprints, keeps it looking beautiful for decades or longer and highlights every little flaw or sanding mark I may have overlooked yesterday. Oiling boxes is a thing that keeps you on a clear course. You have to be there at the right time to rub things out to attain the perfect look, so you don't wander too far... you could make a mess of things.

I was thinking just a bit more about philosophy, and in particular about "mission." It helps in life to have one... an objective that is in some way greater than yourself. It becomes the focal point of energy as you practice "dual awareness," but it also enlivens you. The energy of mission, identification with higher principles and ideas, shows in your work, and also shows in life by providing greater energy for the persistent application of attention.

My own small boxes are designed to have a mission of their own. Sure they hold things, but they are also designed to help acquaint the user with the beauty and diversity of our native American woods, imparting a sense of understanding and value. It is a very simple thing. I present the woods in their natural colors, at a level of quality that expresses respect for the material, and in signing the work, I identify the species used, and the user gets it. So mission doesn't have to be complicated. You just decide what it is, make certain it is worthy (something more significant than making a buck) and spend a bit of time pushing and refining. You will probably find as I have that there will be those who will lend their shoulders to the work in ways that you might never expect.
It is time to get back to the boxes. Have a great weekend. The photo at left is of boxes drying from their first application of Danish oil.