Makers Who Inspire: Corey Gerard — “Learning by Doing It”
“Makers Who Inspire” is an ongoing blog series that highlights the experiences of the various members of Maker Cube, a makerspace based in Langley, British Columbia, Canada.
“If you have a hammer, everything is a nail; but if you have a welder, everything is whatever you want it to be.” -Unknown
Corey is a self-taught welder and volunteer at Maker Cube’s weekly welding classes. His portfolio primarily consists of custom fabrication metal-work for both consumer and commercial clients, and more recently, conceptual and artistic pieces. He got his first taste of welding by working in the industry, surrounding himself with some of the best metalworkers in Vancouver, and now aims to take the next step by going back to school and getting formal training.
What got you involved with welding?
Welding originally came to me as a general interest. I’ve always been super fascinated by it, but never really had a good opportunity to work with metal until I started doing small projects at my job. I fell into a job that heavily focused on welding and one day I finally got the opportunity to get a torch in my hand and start burning some metal, then I got hooked on it. I learned a ton working in the industry — and I learned it by doing it. The guys I was learning it from were the best in the business.
What do you find so fascinating about your discipline?
There are two sides to it. There’s something empowering about being able to control metal — to make it do whatever you want it to do. The science behind it also interests me, but the applications for it are endless. There’s the industrial side of things, but there’s also the artistic. I want to explore the latter moving forward and see where it takes me. One of my favourite quotes about welding is “if you have a hammer, everything is a nail; but if you have a welder, everything is whatever you want it to be.” I like to follow that and, if I ever want to make anything, I feel empowered to do that.
What’s next for you in your journey as a welder?
Going back to school is my goal for the fall. I’ve taken this general interest, turned it into a hobby, and now I actually want to take it to the next level by getting a formal education in this discipline.
What is the “spark” (pun intended) that influences or inspires your work as a welder?
I think the “spark” of it was being able to get the satisfaction of making something with my own hands. However, inspiration, for me, is such a sporadic thing. I find it in the most random places. One source of inspiration is just from seeing something and seeing if I can do it. If I see somebody else do something, I think to myself, “oh, I can probably do that too,” and then I try it. From there, I either succeed or fail and both sides of that are satisfying because, if I succeed, awesome, and if I fail, then I’ve learned something. So that inspires me: the ability to learn something new by learning something you’ve never done before.
There’s a problem… and I have to figure out how to get past it. The thought of solving problems through my work motivates me. I want to make this thing even though I know I’ll probably struggle to try to do it.
Just being here at Maker Cube is a huge inspiration all the time. The members here are making so many cool things and it makes me want to continue developing my craft and see where it takes me.
Takeaways
Takeaway 1: You don’t need a formal education to pick up new skills or make something. You just need the resources and the will to make it happen.
Takeaway 2: Surround yourself with the right people. The amount of experience, knowledge, and skills you can pick up just by being in an environment where you’re surrounded by like-minded, passionate, and experienced individuals is amazing.
Takeaway 3: Inspiration is sporadic and takes on many forms. You can find it almost anywhere. You just need to open your mind to it.
Are you interested in learning how to make things? Maker Cube offers weekly classes in welding, woodworking, 3D design and printing, laser cutting, and many other types of fabrication methods.
Are you Maker looking for your own project space? Maker Cube provides dedicated studio spaces and access to tools and resources that can take your project to the next level. Book a tour today.
