Wood Worker versus Doing Wood work

I have been thinking a lot lately about how there is a difference between making something with wood work and doing wood working.  

At least in my way of thinking I am a wood worker, or I do wood working. That is different than making something from wood. A lot of people can make things with wood, but that is different than being a wood worker.

How, well that’s a difficult difference to quantify. To me a doing wood work implies the person has a love for the material he is using, he (or She) may not have the highest quality tools, but he always strives to do the best possible work with those tools. The layout is the best they can do, the elements complement each other and they strive for the “wow” factor when they are done.

Where as someone that makes something from wood generally (there are Always exceptions to everything) is just using wood because it is either the cheapest material, or the easiest to obtain, etc… it’s not because they love the medium.

Someone who does woodworking does so because they love the way the grain of the wood looks, they can’t wait to see what the wood reveals as they carve away whatever is not part of the end project. They understand how the wood will move and change with the changes in humidity, they know that quarter sawn board will react different then flat sawn, and plan the project accordingly.

A person making something out of wood goes to the local lumber yard, takes whatever boards the yard man loads in their rig and goes about making the project. Little thought is given to the species of wood, the type of joints, or fasteners, and they often paint over the wood. Something a wood worker would find appalling in most circumstances.

With a wood worker it’s all about showcasing the grain and color of the wood as much as the item being made out of the wood.

I know, it’s all a point of view, but at least in my current state of mind, there is a difference and it’s important. To others it may just seem like a minor issue, and perhaps it is, but isn’t that what really makes the difference in most cases, the little things?