![\"designing](\"https:\/\/www.rpwoodwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_1194_edited-3.jpg\")
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Renowned furniture designer Wendell Castle<\/a>, in a wonderful 2008 interview by the late Neil Lamens, covered many aspects of the design process including the need to do a lot of sketchbook drawing<\/strong> and the importance of challenging yourself. He reminded us that mistakes can be evidence of having challenged oneself and their complete absence suggests one should “move the target back.”<\/strong><\/p>\n Unfortunately, the videos of the interview do not seem to be available on Neil’s Furnitology<\/a> site and blog<\/a>, which are still online, so we cannot see his infectious enthusiasm as he spoke with Castle.\u00a0Neil was a force of inspiration from which many woodworkers were fortunate to benefit. His kind and generous spirit left me encouraged and uplifted after every chat or email exchange.<\/p>\n There are two points<\/strong>\u00a0I recall from the interview that particularly struck me.<\/p>\n First,<\/strong> Castle held that, far from dwelling on a design too much, there generally is not enough<\/em> time spent on <\/strong>designing<\/a>. Yes, we woodworkers like to git’r done and put a finished piece into a room. But good design takes work, sweat, revisions, and, at least for me, a degree of angst.<\/p>\n So I remind myself often of this sage advice from one of the great designers of our time. Furthermore, I forgive myself when struggling for seemingly too long with proportions, edge details, or whatever.<\/p>\n Second,<\/strong> in discussing how design is such an endeavor unto itself, Castle remarked,<\/strong> “You almost don’t have to build it.” Now, of course, he said “almost,” and keep in mind, he is a phenomenally prolific<\/a> producer of furniture<\/a>, but the remark prompted me to say, “Oh yes I do!”<\/p>\n