Laser? I hardly know ‘er!
You may be wondering why I even decided to get a laser cutter in the first place. You are not alone. Like all great things it was a fairly random decision, all be it a well reasoned one. The simple and most fundamental answer is: it seemed like fun.
I worked out that with enough research and know how I could get a fairly cheap laser and achieve similar results to the fancy, hobbyist cutters that are over 4 times the price. From that point forward my main expense would be the materials. More research told me that these were affordable enough to make the hobby itself viable.
I have no shame in saying that I wanted to find a hobby that also had the potential to provide an income. I’ve had some rough experiences trying to find employment with my condition. The consequential lack of an income stream has meant that there has been many hobbies that I have simply felt I couldn't afford to try. I knew that if I could make some money back from whatever hobby I was doing then I’d be able to relax and enjoy it a lot more. I also knew that flexible self-employment was my best shot at an actual job. Using free software I drew up a few designs that I could potentially cut and engrave. As I did, several things struck me:
It took very little energy from me
I could do it with my feet up
I enjoyed it
I was good at it (please forgive the brag)
In just a few hours I had several designs which I thought I would genuinely buy. As a frugal person this was a big deal to me. This convinced me beyond all doubt that laser cutting would be my salvation. I ordered a K40 laser and haven’t regretted a moment since.
Once my laser arrived and I had readied it for use (details to be published in the K40 mini-series) I honed my designs and engraving techniques to a point where I felt confident I could produce products that I’d be happy with. I then spent a while looking into the best way to sell. I decided that making my own website would be the most fun approach. Given that I could also do this with my feet up, this method successfully met the only two criterion that I had so I swiftly went about making it happen.
Laser cutting and engraving has opened so many doors for me. It has allowed me to feel productive and to share my skills with others. Its given me this platform where I can write to you lovely people and be honest about things that even those close to me have never known. The small trickle of income it’s provided has given me breathing space and a feeling of independence for the first time in my life. I now have the courage to try even more crafting techniques in a bid to bring you even more wonderful gifts. No matter how many directions Greenwood Gifted ends up going in one thing is clear: it all started with a laser.
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Acronym Decoder
Laser: light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation
