Meet Joel Bukiewicz, the writer turned knife-maker at Cut Brooklyn. Joel, a writer, at his core, has a passion to create things. To make art. His medium? Hand-made kitchen knives.
He’s worked hard, busted his ass, screwed up plenty of times, but today, he’s found a niche, has capitalized on it, and above all, has created a rich quality of life – living on his own terms.
The story told in the video below (courtesy of Made By Hand) is one that directly relates to every single one of you reading this. Which is why I think it’s so important that you take 10 minutes out of your day to give it a look. (Can’t see the video? Click here.)
For me, there are two clear takeaways worth considering, embracing, and putting into action.
The first: The value of good ol’ fashioned hard work. The effort. The hustle. In reference to this, Joel says:
“You’d go into the shop. Cut yourself. Burn yourself. Fuck stuff up. Ruin something you’ve worked on for weeks. And you’d never make that mistake again. This is how I learned…It’s the same process with writing. It takes buckets of blood, sweat, and fucking work to get there. To get good. To get competent. Once you’re competent you may have it in you to be an artist. Before you make it to a place where you can make art with the skills you’ve learned, you must master the basics. And once you’ve done that, that’s when you get to work. That’s day one.”
Having a mission and a vision without a plan of action to achieve it? Good luck. That vision will never, ever be realized if you aren’t willing to put in the effort, a lot of effort, more than you’re going to want to.
The second: The importance of quality, in everything you do.
Joel’s mission is simple: That every knife he makes will be the best knife he’s ever made.
It’s simple. It’s perfect. And it speaks volumes.
Consider having the same mission in everything you do. Consider if your best was every day, with every client, in every pitch, at every moment.
Being at your absolute best, at the end of the day, is the one thing you have the complete capacity to do. Paying attention to deal, mastering your craft, and forever putting your best foot forward is almost guaranteed to spell success.
Joel’s story shows us the beauty in simplicity – but that simplicity, at times, can only be achieved through chaos.
It shows that, at the end of the day, through the ups and downs, from fucking stuff up to creating beautiful art, your best is THE best. And that’s all that matters.
Check out what Made by Hand is doing to highlight outstanding local businesses.