Something out of Nothing – Daniel Gregory | CYD #15 – Nosakhari

When Daniel Gregory was 12 years old, his grandfather gave him a lathe machine and taught him how to use it. From that point on, while the other kids were outside playing, Dan would spend hours in his garage marveling at his newfound ability to recycle scraps of wood and metal into functional art.

This love of making stayed with him through a Fine Art degree that saw Daniel transition from an abstract artist to a minimalist furniture maker. His post-degree return to woodwork was hardly surprising – it might be difficult to “make it” in the art world, but with furniture craft and design, there will always be demand and appreciation for good artistry.

In a social media age saturated with content, however, the challenge is to make that artistry visible in the first place. Declining to divert time and energy towards marketing and self-promoting, Daniel prefers to focus as much as possible on the creative process, on crafting unique pieces in his workshop – it might not be lucrative, but it’s preferable to compromising on artistic integrity. As he continues to receive commissions for his environmentally-friendly minimalist style pieces, it’s evident that staying true to himself pays dividends in the long term.