Slide 1
What if we don’t have to be afraid of failure? What if instead of judging ourselves and others for failing, we generously make space for it from the start? I’ve come to believe failure is essential—it’s the secret ingredient to creativity.
We need a place to do that together.
Slide 2
When I was 12, my mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. After she died, my sister—barely an adult herself—took my brother and I in. It wasn’t safe, it wasn’t easy, and it risked everything she had. But she sacrificed her own livelihood to give us the possibility of a future.
Slide 3
We moved across the state. We changed schools. My life was flipped upside down. I drifted through middle and high school, searching for somewhere to belong. I was easily persuaded into trouble, skipping classes, skipping church youth group. I was looking for something to break.
Slide 4
One afternoon, a friend and I decided to crash drama auditions. The teacher sat us in a half-circle, facing the piano. The experienced theater kids auditioned first—clearly prepared, confident. Tthe group clapped and cheered for each of them as if they were on Broadway.
Slide 5
Then the less experienced kids auditioned. They were… bad. I expected weak claps, maybe even laughter. But the group clapped and hollered with the same energy as they did with the others. Without fail, the group celebrated and cheered each audition as though it were the best. As I watched this happen, something changed in me. I no longer wanted to make fun of these people; I wanted to be one of these people!
Slide 6
I had planned to do something mean. I was inspired by them. I decided to audition instead. I stumbled through the song, barely talking my way through the melody. When I finished, they jumped up, clapped, and said, “Thank you for trying!” For the first time, failure felt like belonging.
Slide 7
I didn’t get a part in that show. But months later I was cast as Michael in Peter Pan. The theatre community showed me what happens when failure isn’t punished, but welcomed. I realized that I didn’t need to break things to feel good, it felt so much better to be making things with people.
Slide 8
I pursued theatre all the way to THE stage—in college, I got to perform at the Kennedy Center.
But soon, my curiosity pulled me in a new direction. I realized I didn’t just love being in the story— I loved shaping the world that made the story possible.
Slide 9
That led me from acting to making into the craft of scenic design. I became a designer at the State Theatre of North Carolina, working under my mentor, the great Dennis C. Maulden. We led teams building entire environments—forests, cities, rooms—the places where stories could unfold.
Slide 10
Scenic design gave me a different kind of spotlight.
I was not on stage anymore, but my work set the stage.
The sets we designed and built framed the story,
Our work helped audiences believe extraordinary things.
Slide 11
Theatre desensitized me to shame. To put on a production, you have to be willing to fail again and again. In theater, we call this rehearsal. Failure is not dwelt upon. It’s just part of the daily work.
So when I made my first cedar canoe, I approached it with the same mindset.
Slide 12
This canoe was my COVID pandemic project.
From the outside, it looks like a success—beautiful, functional, …it even floats! But it also carries the ache of being made in isolation. This project taught me that while we can fail forward alone, it’s hard, and it hurts. Success without community feels hollow.
Slide 13
That realization is what led me to MAKE Santa Fe.
On the surface, MAKE looks like any other makerspace—laser cutters, 3D printers, forges, kilns, metalworking studios, and woodshops. We provide access to state-of-the-art tools and offer a range of classes and skill-building workshops, catering to learners of all levels.
Slide 14
I saw MAKE’s potential to be so much more than a building full of equipment. I’ve worked to grow it into a space where people can learn, try, and, yes, fail—a place where the process matters more than a finished project. At Make, we are building a community that embraces mistakes and fosters creative courage.
Slide 15
Case in point: our Dumpster Fire Party.
We collect failed projects and burn them. Patrick, one of our staff, built a miniature dumpster for the occasion! Julia, one of our members, organized the event. We all shared failure stories. We sent a bold message: The most enlightening lessons come from the most spectacular failures.
Slide 16
When people feel safe to fail, they make bold choices. They’re ambitious. Courageous creative acts happen when permission to fail is granted. They go further when someone realizes they won’t be judged for messing up. They take a bigger swing.
Slide 17
At Make, we are fostering Radical Generosity.
It’s generous of a maker space to offer affordable access to these expensive tools. What is Radical about the generosity at Make is that our members are not required to have any prior experience. Everyone is welcome into our space. We treat every person as a capable, creative on the verge of creating something new.
Slide 18
Through this radical generosity, we can remove the sting of failure. Make Santa Fe is creating a space where this can be true.
It’s not about access to tools for a monthly rate; it’s about experiencing creative courage with the support of others who are learning, experimenting, and growing with you. Failure is never the problem—it isn’t even a problem. It’s how we respond to it.
Slide 19
Because in the end, MAKE isn’t about the projects that leave the shop.
It’s about the people who leave braver, kinder, and more willing to try again.
And together, we’re not just building things. We’re building each other.
Slide 20
Others’ radical generosity afforded me possibility—my sister, my theater troupes, my mentors and now the community at Make.
Radical generosity is not charity; it is a reciprocal act. We’re all capable of it.
Radical generosity doesn’t just change how we create—it changes who we become.