Life & Work with Matthew Woodward

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Woodward. 

Hi Matthew, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I came to Nashville in 2015 to work for a construction company. In 2018 I started my own construction consulting company. I started with the goal of life before work and have stuck to that concept. When covid hit, I got serious about my woodworking. I have dabbled my entire life. I used the extra time I had, as a result, to get things made in the shop. I upgraded tools as I went along. My main focus was to get off the sofa, work with my hands, and create some useful and hopefully beautiful crafts.  The time spent in the shop is both very relaxing and rewarding.

My passion for woodworking turned into a nice little side hustle. I don’t make much money at it, but I don’t care to. I get to take raw/ugly lumber, mostly from TN trees and make beautiful things. It is very enriching. Now I usually have orders for at least a month or two out.  I take my time making them. I don’t want this passion to sour by it becoming too much like a job. I have to be in a creative mindset to do the work so I always warn my clients it may take a while. I do a lot of the work with hand tools so that I can get more intimate with the project.   It really allows me to have better quality control and know every detail of the project. As a result, it can be a very long process.  And every piece likely has some sweat and elbow grease on it.

In the end, I focus on function first. I want to make things that work…that serve a purpose. I love thinking back to when wooden tools were the norm and most things were made by hand. This era serves as a great inspiration for me.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
For the most part yes, it has been relatively easy.  My greatest obstacle is inspiration. I’m very fortunate that most of my commissions leave the artistic component up to me. This is great but also brings some issues with it. I can’t control when the inspiration might hit so sometimes it’s weeks after I get the commission before I figure out how I want to approach the project.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I do a lot of kitchen products it seems. Lately, I’ve been making salad bowls, various serving and cooking utensils, and lots of cutting boards. I’ve made a handful of kitchen tables and serving trays as well. I like to expand my horizons as a craftsman. I dabble in woodturning, I’ve made some boxes and some end tables. You never know what will inspire you! I also make a lot of my own furniture, so often it’s needs-based.  In the end, I can make just about anything that someone sees that is made out of wood and/or metal.  Many of my clients find a picture of something they like and say make me something like this.  Then I ask a lot of questions and put pencil to paper and draw out some plans.  From there, the work and fun is just getting started.  I love seeing the reaction of my clients.  That is by far my favorite part.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I’ve taken risks both in my professional and personal life. Starting my own business was crazy risky, but born of necessity. I was working way too much and living way too little. It has worked out well, but still makes me nervous when I have a slow week. The woodshop has its own kind of risks. Mostly working with power tools and sharp objects. There’s a lot of potential for injury if you aren’t paying attention to your tasks. Another less worrisome risk is that I like to experiment in the shop. So sometimes a “brilliant” idea is a total flop and I waste some costly wood. I don’t like to make cheap practice pieces so I go all in as they say. Sometimes the cards aren’t as good as I thought.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @woodworkbywoody
• Facebook: Woodworkbywoody