Unlimited Salad and the Bookbinder/Book Artist.

 

My biblionautic chums and friends.

Recently I was asked for studio hacks, tips and tricks I use in Studio 5. I paused in my thought process, I mean there are so many hacks, tips and tricks that I employ in the studio, as I am sure there are for all of us who work in what could be called 'the creative world'.

Perhaps one of the most important tips I can give is to maximise the amount of time that one is able to be at the bench producing work, after all bills have to be paid.

In years of yore I, and I am sure many of us, would frequent Pizza Restaurants. Many of these establishments would tempt our patronage with an artful display of the unlimited salad bar in the window. Various lettuce leaves, cucumber and tomato slices, diced potato salad, peppers, bacon bits, onions, shaved carrot, celery, sunflower seeds, chunks and liquid blue cheese, hard boiled egg, potato sticks, croutons, 1000 island dressing, mayo, Ceaser salad, Kale, salad cream, coleslaw, sweat corn, cheddar cheese, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, peas, onion rings...... the list went on. I am sure I have missed many options as different restaurants had different options etc etc.

The object of anyone who frequented the salad bar was to maximise the capacity of the rather small bowls provided. This would be achieved with the cunning use of lettuce leaves and cucumber slices in building up the rim of the bowl. I am sure that many architects and structural engineers unwittingly began their careers at the salad bar.

I am sure one is beginning to wonder what this has to do with hacks, tips and tricks for the studio in maximising time at the bench.

The key is rubbish. In most cases the act of making usually results in a certain amount of material that is waste/rubbish. I would like to cite the omelette as a point in case. Using the skills acquired at the salad bar, I maximise the capacity of my rubbish bins. I mean, why go to the industrial waste bin in the yard 2 times a day when you can go once a week?

Please note.... there are other studios/binderies/ doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.