Every Tool's a Hammer - Life is What You Make It

Adam Savage's "Every Tool's a Hammer" emphasizes that making is an innate human drive for creation, a path often unpredictable and filled with iteration and learning from perceived mistakes. He highlights the importance of embracing obsession and going deep into one's interests, using tools like lists for planning and completism to manage projects. The text stresses the value of collaboration, effective communication, and the necessity of asking for and providing help and feedback. Ultimately, Savage champions sharing one's work and understanding that deadlines are a creative sieve, encouraging makers to view their workshops as personal autobiographies and every tool as a potential hammer.

Every Tool's a Hammer - Life is What You Make It - Adam Savage - Notes

I. Core Definition and Nature of Making

Adam Savage posits that "Making... is simply a new name for one of the oldest human endeavors: creation." This fundamental concept extends beyond traditional crafts, encompassing even digital activities, as he declares, "CODING IS MAKING!" Making is presented as a deeply human activity that "empowered young people, underprivileged communities, and the simply curious to learn, and teach, and share how to make things again."

II. The Iterative and Unpredictable Journey of Creation

A central theme is the inherent messiness and unpredictability of the creative process. Savage emphasizes that "nothing we make ever turns out exactly as we imagined; that this is a feature not a bug." The path of creation is not linear ("A to B. That would be so boring. Or even A to Z. That’s too predictable. It’s A to way beyond zebra. That’s where the interesting stuff happens."). This leads to the idea that what is often labeled as "failure" is, in fact, "iteration, experimentation." He asserts, "Making is making, and none of it is failure. It is an iterative process." Wrong turns are framed positively, as "dancing lessons from God" (Kurt Vonnegut). This necessitates "mistake tolerance" and building "a loose tolerance into your process, to give yourself room to mess up."

III. The Driving Forces Behind Making: Obsession, Passion, and Self-Reliance

Making is fueled by intense internal motivators. "Obsession is the gravity of making," binding elements together and providing structure. Savage distinguishes between healthy "passion (the good side of obsession)" and destructive "singular fixation (the bad side of obsession)." He argues that these pursuits are "so much more than hobbies. They are passions. They have purpose." To "go deep" as a maker means "interrogating your interest in something and deconstructing the thrill it gives you." This pursuit of personal interest is linked to Ralph Waldo Emerson's concept of self-reliance: "To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men—that is genius.” Savage suggests that ideas are abundant, "floating everywhere," and "It will be your interest and obsession that create the gravity that draws them to you and then makes them yours."

IV. The Importance of Practical Application and Learning by Doing

Savage highlights the unique learning gained through active participation: "Doing puts the kind of knowledge in your body that can only be gained through an iterative process." He realized that doing "was the ONLY way I could successfully learn a skill—by doing something with it, by applying it in my real world." This hands-on engagement provides a depth of understanding that mere reading cannot achieve.

V. Tools, Organization, and Workspace as Extensions of the Maker

The relationship between maker and tools is crucial. "The technique and the tool—are fundamental to making." Savage stresses the importance of taking time to "organize your thoughts; to organize your work space; to organize your tools," as "precise work requires precisely acting upon your work." He expresses a strong dislike for drawers, stating, "F*CK DRAWERS! Drawers are where stuff goes to die," advocating for visual accessibility of tools. He also notes that "The layout and flow of a shop always has to do with the specificity of what that shop fabricates," prioritizing functionality over aesthetics ("how something looks is not the same as how something works"). The phrase "in every tool, there is a hammer" signifies that tools can be adapted for purposes beyond their original intent. A shop itself is presented as "a meta-level tool for telling our stories. It is an autobiography of our whole experience as makers."

VI. The Role of Lists and Deadlines in the Creative Process

Lists are presented as "intrinsic" to the creative process, not external. "Completism and list making create a feedback loop," which, when managed, can be a positive planning tool. Deadlines are not viewed as restrictive but as catalysts: "A deadline shouldn’t feel like a vise slowly crushing your head, it should feel like a sieve through which only the essential elements get pushed by the pressure of time, leaving the unnecessary bits behind." They help to "cut through the clutter" and prioritize goals. The effectiveness of a deadline often hinges on its personal relevance.

VII. Collaboration, Communication, and Feedback

Savage emphasizes the necessity of collaboration for significant creations: "If you ever want to create something great, you will have to collaborate with other makers." He acknowledges the difficulty of delegation, especially for those who are particular about their methods, but highlights the "level of transcendence" and "gratifying about building something that you couldn’t possibly have made on your own" when working with others. Effective communication is key, as is acknowledging and appreciating others' contributions. Savage outlines a hierarchy of feedback:

Gratitude: Simple "Good job!" and "Thank you."
Encouragement: Explaining why the work was good.
Motivation: Providing context for someone's value to the project.
Constructive Criticism: Giving guidance for improvement, framed as an investment in the person.
Larger Course Correction: Addressing projects going off track.
Confronting Personality Traits: Addressing issues that impede team progress, recognized as the most difficult but crucial form of feedback.

He notes the challenge of being non-confrontational but stresses that "when you’re the boss, when the buck stops with you, then you need to be able to deliver the right" feedback.

Savage strongly advocates for sharing one's work, methodologies, and enthusiasm, stating, "In my experience, the more you give away, the richer you will be." Sharing is a pathway to learning, exemplified by "Fangoria and Cinefantastique provided... a platform for learning about and sharing their passions." "Word of mouth is everything" in the maker world. Sharing work, whether through blogs, Instagram, or meetups, provides "evidence that you’ve been living the verb (making, painting, writing, designing)." It allows makers to "stand on the shoulders of giants" (Isaac Newton) and foster a "possibility engine" environment where curiosity is encouraged.

IX. Embracing Vulnerability and Self-Doubt

Savage acknowledges the "secret shame" that can accompany deep interests, noting that "the things we love tend to make us quite vulnerable." He also highlights that "the duality of thrill and terror that exists with all new things will never leave you." In fact, "Self-doubt never leaves the attentive craftsperson, so you best make friends with it." This self-awareness, including acknowledging what one doesn't know and asking for help, is crucial for growth.

X. Practical Communication and Prototyping

For communicating ideas to clients and collaborators, Savage champions low-threshold materials like cardboard. Cardboard is a "low-threshold material that can make discussion of ideas at the preliminary stage so much easier and more complete." He emphasizes that "Being able to communicate your ideas to clients and collaborators is one of the most important skills to possess as a maker." Visual communication, including drawing, is also crucial for fleshing out ideas.