People ask how I start. I don't start. I turn the gas on and strike the striker, and by the time the flame's settled I'm already moving. Standing in the shop deciding what to do next is the fastest way to lose an hour. The heat makes the decision for me.

Same with the grinder. I've got a 4 inch cup wheel on an old Metabo that's older than my son. Cord's been taped twice. I put it on a piece I'm not even sure about and the noise kills every other thought in my head. That's the point of it, honestly.

I'm not saying it's a philosophy. It's just that I'm 61 and I've learned I can't think my way into a sculpture. I have to be making a mess first and then the thing tells me what it wants.

The other half of it: knowing when to set the tool down. Most of what I ruin, I ruin in the last twenty minutes of a good day.