What Would You Say You Do?

What do you do?”

It’s a simple question. But I still don’t have a good answer.

“Stonework,” I usually say, though that tends to need clarification. “You know, building stone walls and patios, and stuff like that.” If I’m feeling daring , I might add, “I like the creative side of it.” But what does that even mean?

I think we assume people are privy to our private thoughts, our hopes, and our dreams. That when I say I do stonework, it’s obvious that I don’t just mean walls and patios. That I want to create amazing things with stone. That I want to take the techniques of an ancient craft passed down through millennia and push them forward with a creative twist. That I aspire to create pieces that are timeless and awe-inspiring, aiming to transcend from craftsman to artist.

But in reality, no one knows the secret longings in our hearts unless we show them.

That starts with describing what we do.