In work as a carpenter, each piece that is crafted is built to serve a purpose and the intent is do so simply and beautifully in a way that becomes timeless. The process of building, if done well, selects the best type of wood, with the right grain and color mindful of what the finished piece will look like.
The rough lumber is milled to the right dimensions and planed to bring each surface into harmony with each adjacent side. Defects are removed or kept depending on their usefulness or aesthetic impact on the whole.
Parts are joined together to lend strength to each other in a way that is pleasing to the eye. The assembled piece becomes valuable to the builder as it nears completion since the value of the material and the hours of work make each step more precious than the last.
Every small detail at completion becomes a part of what was before until nothing else is needed to be done.
It is said that the work of a master is different from an apprentice only by the amount of shavings removed. The master only removes what is necessary.
The measure of a piece is as before. Does it serve a higher purpose, simply and beautifully over time.