Shift Work

Kale Vogt
January 22, 2025

We’ve gotten some atypical visitors recently at the Willard storefront. Specifically, local visitors asking Chris for advice.

That alone isn’t particularly peculiar; people waltzing in asking for woodworking advice from Chris is rather common. However, our recent visitors weren’t woodworkers, they were food-service-industry workers.

Today and yesterday, two separate local restaurant owners came in to discuss a variety of topics ranging from social media to bookbinding. I sat in on these conversations to listen and gain perspective.

Having worked for Lost Art Press for nearly a year now, I cherish hearing people’s thoughts on what we do here. While prepping stock for a chair class or writing a weekly blog entry for work has become my new normal, I’m aware that in general these things are anything but.

Although after chatting with these local business owners for some time it became clear that they weren’t interested in what we do day-to-day. They were interested in what Lost Art Press is, and what our values are.

My most recent chair build. Built alongside Chris’s chair class last week.

Our conversations struck a chord in me. These restaurateurs were relatively young, (early to mid 30s if I had to guess) and they were curious about topics like craft, slow growth and longevity – themes one wouldn’t normally associate with the millennial generation, and for good reason.

Our visitors thoughts and concerns towards the break from traditional craft aligned with my own. Since delving into the world of woodworking and craft, my values have become clearer. I appreciate handmade objects more than I ever have, but it’s been an acquired taste – not because I never appreciated craft before, but because our mass-produced society has limited our access to objects made by hand.

Since listening to these young restaurateurs, something has become apparent to me; I’m sensing a shift.