In this New York Times bestselling âimperative how-to for creativityâ (Nick Offerman), Adam Savageâstar of Discovery Channelâs Mythbustersâshares his golden rules of creativity, from finding inspiration to following through and successfully making your idea a reality.
Every Toolâs a Hammer is a chronicle of my life as a maker. Itâs an exploration of making, but itâs also a permission slip of sorts from me to you. Permission to grab hold of the things youâre interested in, that fascinate you, and to dive deeper into them to see where they lead you.
Through stories from forty-plus years of making and molding, building and breaking, along with the lessons I learned along the way, this book is meant to be a toolbox of problem solving, complete with a shopâs worth of notes on the tools, techniques, and materials that I use most often. Things like: In Every Tool There Is a Hammerâdonât wait until everything is perfect to begin a project, and if you donât have the exact right tool for a task, just use whateverâs handy; Increase Your Loose Toleranceâmaking is messy and filled with screwups, but thatâs okay, as creativity is a path with twists and turns and not a straight line to be found; Use More Cooling Fluidâit prolongs the life of blades and bits, and it prevents tool failure, but beyond that itâs a reminder to slow down and reduce the friction in your work and relationships; Screw Before You Glueâmechanical fasteners allow you to change and modify a project while glue is forever but sometimes you just need the right glue, so I dig into which ones will do the job with the least harm and best effects.
This toolbox also includes lessons from many other incredible makers and creators, including: Jamie Hyneman, Nick Offerman, Pixar director Andrew Stanton, Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro, artist Tom Sachs, and chef Traci Des Jardins. And if everything goes well, we will hopefully save you a few mistakes (and maybe fingers) as well as help you turn your curiosities into creations.
I hope this book serves as âcreative rocket fuelâ (Ed Helms) to build, make, invent, explore, andâmost of allâenjoy the thrills of being a creator.
