Meet Ben Seevers | Woodworker & Philosopher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ben Seevers and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ben, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My first memory of wood grain is being very young and making imaginary friends out of the drawer faces on our bathroom vanity. The only one I still remember is the praying mantis with the light bulb head. Today, when I’m in the wood shop handling pieces, there is a direct line back to that childhood animism. As much as I want to honor the trees, I also need to honor the inclinations and compulsions that come from who I’ve always been. This is the lens in which I want to view the concept of “Work/Life Balance”. At the end of my life, what will have been my “life’s work”?
The very notion of a “Work/Life Balance” is a false dichotomy. Are you not living while you are working? Where is the separation? I would argue that this is a post industrial compartmentalization of labor. If you are privileged enough to do work you find fulfilling, maybe the separation is less pronounced. If you hate your job, that separation becomes very important. I am talking about identity here, yet I suppose the question was about time. Are you home for dinner? These are the considerations I think this question is after. “Clock in, Clock out” right? Maybe time is a parameter that creates identity. Am I still a woodworker when I’m not woodworking?
The question of finding a “Work/Life Balance” is ultimately a matter of boundaries. Protecting time for your family, friends, and loved ones should be a priority for everyone. In this economy however, the single parent working 2 jobs trope is the rule, not the exception. Capitalism moves towards monopoly and the consolidation of power is squeezing all of us, now more than ever, with inflation and the increased cost of living.
It’s summer when I’m writing this, and the garden beckons at us for attention. I haven’t drawn in months. All the extra curriculars start to feel very extra when there are so many important things to be done. So much emphasis is put on Hustle Culture these days. “You just have to get on the grind”. But with the ongoing excursion of the magnetic poles, I think it’s important to enjoy just how good we have it right now. Be in the moment, put your phone down around your kids. Go out into nature. If you spend all your time in Man’s world, you will lose proper perspective. There is more to life than workin’ and gettin’. Remember, the soul is eternal, but someday your body will perish, and it’s important to prepare for that transition with spiritual awareness.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I fall in love with every piece of wood that I meet. It’s kind of a problem. I’m too young to be running out of room in the barn! Getting the materials is the easy part. My vision as an artist has blessed and cursed me with seeing the potential in so many materials. My goal is to lean into the utilitarian with furniture and to highlight the more abstract wood moments with sculpture. I don’t think there needs to be a strict polarity between furniture and sculpture, but I want to be very thoughtful about their blending. I’m still embarking on this lifelong journey into woodworking, and being a student is very exciting. As daunting as the lathe is, I see its power as inviting as it is scary. All aspects of the process involved in making a piece have their depth. By the time I’m finally finishing a piece there is always marvel at that final reveal of glowing grain. I know that feeling will never get old.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Joelton Hardware on Clarksville Pike is our main. Go get some locally sourced food, hear some live music, and pick up some sawzall blades while you’re at it. Once Harding House Brewery gets their new spot up and running, that’s going to be awesome. They are really raising the bar for what farm to tap can mean. Music wise, if you ever get a chance to see H.R. Lexy play a show, their sound and performative ambiance is amazing. I like to pop in to Risology Club and the Packing Plant at the art crawl. They’re holding it down for sure. Since we’re in town we might as well dip into Sons of Sawdust and see what reclaimed wood they have on offer. Those guys have a rad shop and all the wood in there has a story. And on the way home, we’ll probably end up at my cousin in law’s in Madison for a slip’n’slide party.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wanna give a threefold shoutout. First, shoutout to my Father, Mark who got me started in the trades and first exposed me to what is possible with wood. Next, shoutout to Rand Horny, the humble but masterful, country living cabinet maker. I had the extreme joy and challenge of working in his shop the first two years I lived in TN. Many thing were learnt under his fine tutelage. Finally, shout out to Andy Sahn, another accomplished builder, who had the graciousness and foresight to invite me and my tools into his shop in Ashland City where I now work. The future looks very bright.

Website: https://www.benjaminseevers.com

Instagram: @Benjamin_seevers_woodworking, @dr_dj_benzai