See also Episode 1: On A Mission | https://wootten.com.au/ep1onamissionvideo/
See also Episode 2: Provenance Is Everything | https://wootten.com.au/ep2provenanceiseverythingvideo/
See also Episode 3: Our Story So Far | https://wootten.com.au/ep3ourstorysofarvideo/
See also Episode 5: Community Is Key
See also Episode 6: It's All About The Craft
THE BIGGER PICTURE:
Krys and I often reflect that we don't feel like we have jobs, we have a purpose. Every task we undertake is driven by this purpose and the lines between work and life are often blurred. Generally, work and life tend to be talked about needing to be in balance, as if they’re two separate things. Why do we see ‘work’ as a chore or a duty and life as our small portion for joy and fulfilment? Shouldn’t what we do for half of our waking hours be meaningful and not merely a means to an end?
Essentially, it is our belief that if we work at it, our lives and the world around us can be whatever we make them.
We all have the ability to make positive change in our lives and our broader community. At the core of this is design. Critical design thinking isn’t just about the aesthetic of something. Fundamentally, it’s about identifying a need for change and coming up with creative solutions to make things better.
I have had the absolute privilege of being surrounded by makers and creators my entire life. My mum and dad built our tiny family home perched on the side of a hill surrounded by a World Heritage-listed National Park. My parents literally dug each stone out of a farmers paddock and laid them by hand.
The example that both of my parents set shaped my view of the world endlessly. They lived a very unassuming life by all accounts. But the tasks which they applied themselves to, they absolutely exceeded. Of course, my father was an accomplished shoemaker. But it wasn’t this specific craft which left the greatest impression on me. It was the way in which they dove in, boots and all, every time.
We seem to have forgotten what an important part our surroundings play in our mental health and physical wellbeing. The spaces we occupy, the things we consume and the objects we interact with, beyond mere utility, can enhance and enrich our lives in countless ways.
Utility is a very important factor, of course form should follow function after all. However, function can be far more than utility. At the core of this is design. Once we have achieved the basic function of a shoe protecting your feet and being wearable the question is, can it enrich our lives further?
Ultimately, as Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union”. The key word here being: “spiritual”. Once we have pulled ourselves out of the dark, cold and wet and met the basic need of utility there is a space created for, the “human”. What if, beyond mere utility we considered the “function” of the objects we designed from a social, environmental and ethical standpoint? What if, having met utility, their function was to enhance connection, foster community, better our environment, create more diverse and inclusive workplaces and fundamentally inspire us to make the world a better place? that’s what we are trying to do.
I was first awakened to the importance of design when at 13, we moved to Melbourne. We found ourselves, by some stroke of luck, living in an early Robin Boyd house in leafy Studley Park. This was my first introduction to Modernism, and set me on a path to becoming a designer. The simplicity and clarity of design thinking that this house conveyed was arresting. It was a gem of a house and a life changing experience for me, who knew a house could change your life?
Over the ensuing 25 years we have set aside the pursuit of material gain in favour of experimenting, seeking out experiences and developing the skills required to build the world we are surrounded by. I’ve always built stuff, from a young age, and started sketching ideas for houses when I was 14 or so. I was always going to build our house, it was just a matter of time. We wanted our home to be of its place. the materials, the design, and the building process were absolutely driven by this. Locally sourced materials, salvaged or reimagined. Restored or bartered. Friends and local trades being involved. We also spent 10 years experimenting with materials and construction techniques, building sheds and the like to test things out. All of these things have meant that the house is physically of its place but even more, it is of the people of this place too, it has connections to the community in a very unique way.
Good things take time. A lifetime in some cases.
For the direct Youtube link visit here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhFNmPYE2wA