It took a little extra time to create this video for various reasons, but I am happy to have it finished. In my previous videos, I explored all three crafts, but I felt like this one was getting too long, so I just focused on woodworking. However, I do plan on creating a second video that ties in ceramics and cooking at some point.
Where did the lazy Susan come from? One speculation is that the name derives from servants in the 1700's who were referred to as “Susans.” Another popular theory is that Thomas Jefferson invented them for his daughter, Susan, who often complained that she was always the last to be served at the dinner table.
A few design takeaways from this project:
Inspiration can come from many different places. For this project, it was finding the roller guides that unlocked the static movement of the lazy Susan. Materials are a great source of inspiration for creativity. When I was working full-time in the kitchen, I used to love going to a good market to find a new or interesting product that would help shape the night special.
Even when you think a design is done, you might realize that you are only getting started and that the final answer might be something very different than what you thought it would be.
The hidden craft in these videos is the filming and editing that goes into them. While editing this video, I realized that this process is very similar to woodworking. In that, you always want to start with more material than you need and by slowly removing what you don’t like, you are able to capture your vision.
The Lazy Sam