I finally got the spine curve right on a custom poetry book

I was at the local library craft fair last weekend, and an older woman picked up a book I'd bound. She ran her thumb down the spine and said, 'This feels exactly like my grandmother's old hymnal.' We talked for ten minutes about how a good curve should feel in your hand, not just look right. It was the first time someone really got why I spend hours on that one detail. Has anyone else had a moment where a simple comment from a stranger just clicked?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_xena13d ago

That's the best feeling. I mean, when someone notices the exact detail you poured yourself into. Had a client once who just kept touching the edge of a table I'd sanded for ages. Didn't say much, just that it felt smooth like river stone. Makes all the difference.

grant.nina13d ago

Keep a little notebook for those comments. I jot down what people say and the project it was for. It's not just nice to read later (though it is), it helps you remember what actually matters to people when you're in the weeds on the next thing.

piper_reed12d ago

It's funny how the best praise is never about how something looks... it's always about how it feels to use.

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