Streamline Creative

Streamline Creative Small Batch Custom Production | Woodworking • Merch • Laser Engraving

08/28/2026

Sneak Peak!

I want my new shop to be a place I don’t want to leave. A place that at the end of the day when I get an idea I say f**k it, and stay late to get after it.

And for whatever reason, the places that have always made me feel the most comfortable were never the polished ones.

I liked hanging in the old bowling alley when I was a kid, before they went all neon. The with the arcade in the corner and a s**tty little bar where pitchers were flowing and problems were vented.

I like those dark wood paneled basements with the orange shad carpet that’s has seen a flood. Where all the furniture had wooden arms and yellow in the cushion pattern. The one with a TV console bigger than a Honda. Down there, anything could happen!

Those places just felt good.

So that’s my vision for this space.

Not some pristine, perfectly organized Instagram workshop. Tools displayed like a museum. I want personality. Weird colors. Old s**t. Loud music. A bar. An arcade! A place that feels lived in before it even is.

Basically, I’m building a shop that makes me want to hang out in. Even if I don’t feel like working.

And that starts with a giant stripe on the wall. It’s amazing what I little paint can do to a room.

Create or Die

08/26/2026

Just make the thing.

Despite what the average framer in the comments might tell you, sometimes you can just make the damn thing.

This is a non-load-bearing partition wall. My stud placement was intentional because I know what I’ll be mounting to it, and I’ll eventually tie it into the block walls to stiffen everything up. I had to stick build it because I had no floor space to build it on the ground and I used screws because I plan to take these materials with me when the lease is up. (I plan to, but you and I both know I want 🤣)

But that’s not really the point of this reel.

People should be able to post something they’re proud of. Especially something they’ve never done before, without a bunch of professionals lining up to tell them how much they suck. I see people post things about their kids, that they are proud of, and from my vantage point I see room for improvement! But I’m not up in their comments telling them they are s**tty parents.

If you know more than someone, help them. Give them a tip. Encourage them to keep going.

Everybody was a beginner once.

And if all you need is a wall… just make the f**king wall.

08/24/2026

I kept telling myself I’d start creating again when the shop was finished.

When the walls were painted.
When the electrical was done.
When the tools were set up.
When everything looked the way I pictured it. Cool as s**t.

Four months later, I realized I’ve been slowly suffocating waiting for the shop to be “ready.”

Creativity isn’t just my job. It’s not content. It’s not something I do when I have free time. It’s how I process life. It’s how I feel productive. It’s how I feel like myself. It’s who I am.

And this weekend I realized just how much not having that outlet has been affecting me. I got low.

So I’m changing the plan.

This shop doesn’t need to be finished right now. It doesn’t need to look cool. It doesn’t need to be Instagram-ready. It just needs to f**king work!

I need a table saw yet. I need a drill press yet. I need to run an outlet or two yet. But that’s all I NEED to start making something.

The rest can happen around me.

08/23/2026

A few months ago I moved my house, my business, my woodshop and apparently every object I’ve ever owned from Illinois to Arizona.

Here are the three things I learned:

Anything stored in an attic, basement or garage should be dead to you. Throw it away. Give it away. Sell it. Whatever.

Your furniture belongs to your old house. Sell it there instead of paying thousands of dollars to move it across the country so you can sell it from your new garage. It will be easier AND cheaper to buy temporary furniture once you arrive.

And finally, if you’re currently in a relationship, just go ahead and end that too. Tell the kids you’ll see them at the final destination. Some missions are better off as solo ones.

Because nothing strengthens a relationship quite like spending an obscene amount of money while simultaneously being exhausted, homeless, surrounded by boxes, waiting for a truck that was supposed to arrive three days ago, and discovering your favorite piece of furniture now has a hole in it. If your relationship is not rock f**king solid you may be sleeping on an air mattress in the guest bedroom until you find a new place to live.

Moving across the country was one of the biggest pain in the asses of my life. And it’s my 3rd time doing it! We made it out alive and stronger than ever but there were times where buying a used RV and heading any other direction than I was going was looking damn good.

We survived. Follow these steps and you will too.

08/21/2026

What would you do?

Right now, with some rearranging and eliminating, I could add 2 double pull breakers for my power tools and 1 single pull for whatever. This I can do by myself. Hardly ideal but I can make it work on the daily. Mobile tool bases and extension cords will become my new best friends. I will also clean up any electrical laziness I can provided it’s just labor needed.

I don’t like investing too much in places I lease. Sure it makes my use of the space better but I’m also increasing the value of the space for the owner. Maybe there is value in it for me if you break it down long term, but my bank account would argue that right now. And this place is owned by a large firm and im not looking to make their pockets any fatter!

08/20/2026

I feel sorry for the people around me…

Not only do I make such detailed plans I almost never relay them to those around me. Then, when someone derails or doesn’t “respect” my plan (the one that lives in my head only) I get upset. Like a psycho.

I also can only book appointments in the morning times because my whole day will be built around getting to that appointment. If it’s in the afternoon that entire morning is a waste for me. Imagine if I had an evening appointment! I’m nuts!

45 years on this planet and I never fully realized I do this! But it’s never too late to make some changes. And changes will be made.

08/19/2026

What’s in the box!?

Turns out not much of anything… don’t know why I was hoping for something weird! Looks like maybe a friend of the previous tenant might have been running a “business” out of there. One where they never needed to use the bathroom or forget what prison was like.

I had always planned to run a partition wall across the back 9’ of the shop to house my printing and merch equipment, so this room is actually a good thing. I’ll just extend the wall across the space and now I can use the Creepy Corridor as a home for my DTG printer which needs a controlled climate. But first things first. I gotta change the locks!

It may not look like it but this shop is coming together. In my mind. After a couple drinks…

Create or Die

08/18/2026

Do you want the good news or bad news first?

The good news: I found out exactly what I’m working with.

The bad news: what I now know I’m working with. 😂

A panel upgrade or sub-panel just isn’t in the budget right now, and I question whether I should be investing thousands of dollars in a space that isn’t something I own anyways. So for now just two 220V outlets it is.

As the saying goes: “Adapt. Overcome. Unplug the jointer before using the table saw.”

On the bright side is, maybe you learned how to use a circuit tracer. If not. A radio and some random breaker flips works too.

Create or Die

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Grayslake, IL
60030

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