Makers Who Inspire: Jeremy Culley— “Finding Artistry Through My Autism”
“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
“For me, my brain moves so fast and it creates so much anxiety. When I’m making something, everything slows down and I can process information. It allows me to take things one step at a time.”
Jeremy is a self-taught maker who explores a wide variety of disciplines but mainly specializes in woodworking and welding. As a fresh graduate from high school, he’s excited to spend more time developing his skills in woodworking and welding, along with making various art pieces from “junk” lying around our makerspace. As someone who grew up in a family of tradespeople, the “maker mindset” has always been a prevalent part of his life and now he aims to see where his creativity takes him as he explores new disciplines.
What do you do and how did you get started?
I do a little bit of everything. I dabble in all trades — metalworking, woodworking, custom fab. And even at my work, I do CNC routing.
It started off with pretty much every kid’s hobby: Lego. And as I got older, I explored things like woodworking and metalworking — , especially in high school. What really kick-started my serious interest in making was when I joined my school’s Lego Robotics Club.
I was also brought up in a family of tradespeople. I have uncles who are carpenters, plumbers, and electricians. Safe to say that, growing up, I was exposed to all these different facets of the trades.
Why drew you towards woodworking and welding??
What drew me towards woodworking is the ability to make something out of something else. You can make beautiful art pieces. You can make stuff for everyday life. For me, what I make, how I make, and the materials I work with, are the ways I express myself.
Finding a healthy way to express myself is important because I autism, ADHD, anxiety, and sensory processing disorder. One of the biggest challenges I have is something called a non-verbal problem-solving disorder. What that means is that I struggle to verbally explain things to people. Because of that, I compensate by letting my actions speak on my behalf. Woodworking enables me to communicate with people. It’s given me a voice.
Stress. I have anxiety disorder. So when I’m building stuff, I don’t need to focus on the other parts of my life or what’s stressing me out. The perfect example that illustrates this is when I’m welding. When I’m welding, I’m wearing a hood. I’m listening to music and drowning out all of the other senses. At that moment, I’m only focusing on the little things you can see through the welding mask. It truly allows me to focus on only one thing at a time. For me, my brain moves so fast and it creates so much anxiety. When I’m making something, everything slows down and I can process information. I take things one step at a time.
How do you deal with mental or creative blocks?
I write the problem I have down, I stop what I’m doing, and do something else. What’s beautiful about is that when you write it down, you’re putting that thought in your brain and letting it percolate while you’re doing something else. It’s like having a conversation with someone, suddenly having a brain fart, moving on to a different topic, and then suddenly remembering what you forgot moments ago. When that happens, your brain is actively trying to solve the problem but you’re getting in the way of it. When you stop and let it work, that’s when you see progress.
Another major challenge I face is how my brain functions. It often feels like there are two sides of my brain fighting one another and it’s difficult trying to reign it all in. What I’ve discovered is that, by working and multi-tasking, I can better focus on what’s in front of me and be present in the moment.
What’s next for you in your Maker Journey?
Plastic injection molding! That’s a fabrication method that I really want to sink my teeth into. There are so many potential projects that you can make through injection molding and there’s also a strong demand for that in the manufacturing industry. I can’t wait to get started!
Takeaways
Takeaway 1: There’s more to making than just creating something functional. Making is a powerful tool for self-expression. In many ways, being able to make something with your own two hands gives you a voice.
Takeaway 2: The world of making is like an all-you-can-eat-buffet. There are so many materials you can work with and so many tools you can learn to use. Try out all the flavors and see which one you like!
Takeaway 3: You have to be present when you’re making something, or else you’ll make mistakes and/or your project will likely not turn out the way you initially planned. In a lot of cases, being present also helps with safety and awareness of your workspace.
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.
