Personal Space: Interview with Carpenter Garrett Boland

Where are you from?

I grew up in Thousand Oaks, California.

How old are you?

I am 30.

Occupation?

Carpenter.

Where is your studio/workspace?

My wood workshop is in Camarillo, which is just a quick 56-mile commute one way!

What is so special about Los Angeles ?

I think Los Angeles has it all – except the transportation system!  I commute a lot. I have a motorcycle bias because I ride daily. That’s a big part of why I like Los Angeles so much. You can lane split legally, which makes navigating all of its sprawl and diversity much more enjoyable.

What are you most proud of?

Figuring out how to wheelie a motorcycle.

Do you like collaborating with other people or is it a one man’s show for you?

Well, it’s for sure a collaboration to get anything built: suppliers, clients, designers. But at the shop, it’s just me, my father, and my brother. I guess you can call it a collab… I call it the twilight zone.

What part of creating is more important for you:  The idea, the process, or the outcome?

To see it done is always rewarding.

What motivates you?

I enjoy building stuff every day and the icing is that I get the knees in the breeze every morning and I party on the freeway. As far as motivation, I’d have to say motorcycles.

What’s your work routine?

Wake up, ride, coffee, bang some stuff around, put “Morning Becomes Eclectic” on so I stay hip and current, probably hurt myself a little, hopefully not mess anything up beyond repair, lunch, work stuff, go back out and freeway party the whole way home with and occasional canyon long cut.

Growing up, did you always know you’ll end up on this path?

Yeah, as much as I tried to fight the current, I knew where the boat was going.

Can you talk a little bit about your personal style and your work style and how do the two relate to each other?

I think style’s great. Wish I had more of it. The construction-motorcyclist-skateboarder is what I have so I guess I’m doing alright.  Since I’ve been 30 I’m thinking about getting more into jewelry.

Fashion feeding off art and vice versa is nothing new, but how do you deal with trends?

The whole construction workwear idea has been a trend for a while and is probably one of many contributing factors in making construction and other trades less of something your grandpa or parents did and more of a current and respected line of work with the younger crowd.

In a decade from now, where do you think you’ll be and what will you be doing?

If my previous behavior has any bearing on the future, and if I’m still here, I bet I’ll be skating, riding bikes, and motorcycles. Hopefully still doing creative work…