You’ve got to start somewhere. You’ve got to start sometime. What better place than here? What better time than now.
Thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic and the mandates to stay at home as much as possible in 2020; I suddenly found myself with a little time to pursue screen printing. Coming from the print production world, it has been a topic of interest of mine for many years. Previously, life just hadn’t allowed for me to dive too deeply into a new “hobby” with all of the responsibilities that come with a family of 7. Commuting to work every day and often working late into the night left little time for extra curriculars during the week. The weekends are when I like to spend time with the family and unwind from the week. In a previous life, I had taken up photography pretty seriously and invested quite a few years into learning and practicing that set of skills.
I initially got into photography because I wanted to capture quality pictures to document family life. As my kids got older and my family grew, I realized how little time I had to get out of the house and make photography anything more than another skill to have in my repertoire. I did a few photo shoots for family and friends here and there, which I enjoyed; but time is a big factor in the photography game and that wasn’t a luxury I had… so I faded out of that scene.
Part of the problem most people face when choosing to do something they are interested in, is actually doing it. We tell ourselves we don’t have the time, or the money, or the knowledge, or perhaps there is a fear of failure. All of these things might be true to a certain degree, but if we don’t motivate ourselves, we sell ourselves short of expanding our capabilities and minds. True failure is not even attempting to do something you have a desire to do. My dad always used to tell me when I was a boy, “Give it your best shot!” That mantra has always stuck with me.
When the pandemic first struck and the result was a little lighter work load than normal, It hit me that this might be my chance to do something. I decided to take advantage of this window of time because I didn’t know if I would get another one any time soon. I actually said out loud one day, OK, Let’s do this! (yes, I talk to myself. They say the smartest people do that…) I soon had myself reading, watching and researching screen printing. Youtube is a wonderful thing! I’m a visual person.
Watching something be done before I try my hand at it is how I learn best. I spent almost a year just gaining knowledge and information from the online screen printing community. I didn’t realize how many screen printers there were out there and how willing they are to offer advice and solutions to each other. The time finally came when I felt like I had enough general knowledge that I was “ready” to get my hands dirty (quite literally).
I decided to start small, do as much DIY as I could and figure out if screen printing was for me. The basement became my humble little shop where I set myself up with what I needed to get started. The initial process of creating designs for my personal logo and arranging an efficient work space was exciting! Once I started printing… the creativity, mystery and joy of a successful print were a big draw for me.
Fast forward a few months. I’ve been printing shirts for myself, friends, family and helped a couple “clients” as well. I’ve learned a lot and have so much more to learn. Screen printing is sort of like golf to me. You may walk away feeling pretty good with your performance at the end of the day. You may have even won… but you still ruminate on what you could do better next time. I’m eager to learn and get better at the craft. My kids have shown some interest and have even created designs for me to print. Having the support of my wife and kids makes it even more enjoyable to get into this. Screen printing makes me happy and is a great creative outlet. My goal now is to learn as much as I can, as quickly as I can. I want to make great things for myself and others.
Moral of the story… Where I’m at is a result of acting on an interest rather than just thinking about it. No more mild interest, lack of motivation and excuses; the key was to just put in the time and start!
Give it your best shot! Yes, indeed. Let’s do this!