We were lucky to catch up with Matt Hickey recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Matt, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
My sister. That’s an easy one. I was full steam ahead woodworking and introducing new ideas and plans into building a brand but when my little sister became sick with cancer, it completely changed my direction and reason for completing my craft.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Well I am a woodworking artist that has done it professionally since 2017. The pieces I create are solely based around kitchen and grilling needs. I found most items used in the kitchen are boring and felt I could spice it up by making usable art. Sure you can buy cutting boards, cook spoons, bottle openers and knives anywhere, but it’s not special, it’s not one-of-a-kind. I build commercial grade butcher blocks, bottle openers and charcuterie boards with a flair and are built to last a lifetime. Only the absolute best species of hardwood are used and we selectively pick out the stock with the wildest grain patterns that are interesting and pleasing to the eye. But what I am most proud of is our signature series of “Burpee Strong” boards. Burpee is my little sister who passed away in 2022 from Cancer. Each Burpee Strong Signature board has her hand written name laser engraved on the board. We donate 50% of each sell to The Cancer Research Institute in memory of her or anybody that has lost the fight to this disease.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Woodworking forces you to be patient, something that I was not good at for a long time. It caused me to slow down, think ahead and plan. I have slowly become methodical about each piece before starting. In doing that, I have noticed my skills becoming sharper because I was not rushing through a project, for instance; mallet and a chisel, once you start to use a chisel on a hand selected piece of beautiful wood, you can’t make a mistake. One slip of the tool can ruin a piece. That’s why I feel it’s important to stay in constant training. My knowledge grows from social media. I have gained hundreds of woodworking friends from around the world and it’s a great way to keep up with trends or even ask questions when I’m not sure of something. The community of woodworkers is beautiful, artist helping artists is truly special.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
Yes, the one we all face…time. I feel there is never enough time. After losing my little sister, I can’t help to feel I’m running out of it faster and faster. But it can be a wonderful thing as well, because it woke me up mentally. I am more focused on using that time the proper way now. Things that were important to me before, are now meaningless. Money is no longer a priority to me, because the most valuable thing in this world that you can’t put a price on, is time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Craftworksbyhickey.com
- Instagram: @craftworksbyhickey
- Facebook: Matt Hickey
- Youtube: Craftworks By Hickey
- Other: Tik Tok @craftworksbyhickey
