Who am I?
When it comes to honing my skills, much of my focus is on the tangible - things I can do or make with my hands. Over the years, this has included many different matters of subject including sewing, carpentry, mechanics, chemistry, and electronic repair. In more recent years, I’ve expanded my computer programming and design skills and have begun learning 3D modeling. Strong DIY ethics my entire life have led me to rarely ask how I can get something, but how I can create it. Paired with my disdain for consumption culture means always looking for creative solutions to problems with conservation in mind. My personal “three R’s” (of recycling) in additon to the original reduce, renew, reuse are reclaim, repair, repurpose. Frequently I find myself pulling discarded items to repair to their original purpose, modify to my liking, or to simply strip down into component parts which may then used in the creation of something new and different. Whatever the item may be, it is rare for me to posess something and not repair or hack it in some way at some point in its lifetime - be it a motor vehicle, bicycle, television, phone, piece of furniture, or some other odd electronic… too many to list entirely.
I have several qualities that make me adaptable and dynamic in my abilities. The first is excellent spatial reasoning. I often can see with superb clarity the way things will fit (or not fit) together. I also have a wonderful ability to see not only the way things physically fit, but also to grasp their purposes as the components of a larger whole. This allows me to intuit the internal paths (both logical and physical) of many things (such as previously mentioned mechanical devices) and to understand how something is working. This gives me a remarkable ability to diagnose failures in things and develop a plan for repair (or the alchemy of merging the previously unmerged - sometimes you just desire a Chimera). This alone is useful, but is highly augmented by my understandings of various fabrication processes, knowledge in the use of many tools, and creative approach to solving problems with focus on reliability, functionality, and simplicity. Last but not least is my thirst for understanding. When I am faced with a problem, I first assess the situation and gather as much data as possible. Next, I develop a plan for how to accomplish whatever my particular goal or goals are. These steps result in an approach to challenges from an educated angle - increasing efficiency and effectiveness while helping to avoid unintended damages born of ignorance, misunderstanding, or haste. By having a diverse set of skills and knowledge of diverse subject materials, I am at times able to see solutions to problems that would perhaps gone overlooked by someone with a singular focus. Nearly all of my skills have been entirely or predominantly self-taught, so I am aware that there remain, and always will remain gaps in what I know. However, I am always learning, striving to improve my skills, my work, and ultimately myself as a human. As time progresses and both the breadth and depth of knowledge increase, I continue to discover more effective ways to solve problems and create.
One area I sorely need to improve upon is documentation. In professional settings, this has never been an issue. Personal projects however often go from idea to fully executed with little more than some scribbles on paper and perhaps a hasty progress photo or two. Some older projects were never photographed at all. This portfolio aims both to share my projects with you and to encourage myself to better document the things I do. I hope you enjoy what you find here.
- Val Gliozzi