Just like everyone else during the lockdown, I have been taking advantage of the outside world. Walking has been a mental release and I always enjoy discovering new places. During one of my recent walks, I meandered through Sneinton Market, a recently developed creative hub with a bustling food scene and coffee scene. Very different from what it was like when I left in 2016.
As I walked with my coffee from Blend (the hip and aesthetically pleasing coffee shop), I noticed a small wooden face in the corner of my eye. I was enthralled.
The woodcarver is called Martin Sommerville, he has a woodworking workshop called ‘By Our Hands We Make Our Way’ that is a creative space for anyone who creates with wood or wants to learn.
Having a conversation with Martin is easy, he is very open and willing to talk about anything. Twenty years ago he was a game designer, but the digital world was too much for him so he packed up his bags and moved back to the midlands where he found his partner and his love for creating art.
He then started art therapy workshops and provided therapy to prisons, community centres and anyone who needed it.
"I love that no piece of wood is the same as another"
Looking around the workshop, I feel a sense of calm, purposeful creativity and a hint of cheekiness. The many hands, puppets and tools make me think of simpler times at school being creative in the woodworking class. Somehow that nostalgic feeling has been transferred into this room.
With the coronavirus lockdown currently in place, Martin has not been able to open his doors to the public. But he’s still here, carving pieces of wood, waiting for the day he can share this beautiful space with the people of Nottingham once more.
It was a pleasure to film him.
You can watch the completed video here.
If you liked what you saw and would like a video similar for you or your business, email me or contact me through any of my social media accounts and we can chat!
damien@ebanksmedia.co.uk
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