Stephen Sheridan, Woodcarver and Carpenter, High Cross Woodcarvings
I’m a woodcarver from Gorey in Co. Wexford. Although I work as a carver, I am a carpenter by trade and continue to work as a carpenter. I always try to promote the trades as much as I can. I use a wide range of mallets and chisels to produce my carvings, ranging from family crests to thrones, celtic crosses, keepsake boxes, and more.
I specialise in the reproduction of Georgian carvings and carvings based on Celtic design. I believe I’m lucky to have pieces of my work across the globe, from the USA to Australia To Asia and across many parts of Europe. I have always had a very keen interest in Celtic design and the detail achieved by the master craftsmen and the basic primitive tools.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
It is LinkedIn.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
Woodcarver and an advocate for the skilled trades.
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
I find working with my hands very rewarding and highly beneficial to my mental health, and I suppose it’s my way of leaving a positive mark on the world.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
You learn more from losing than you ever will from winning.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
To promote the skilled trades and leave a legacy of sorts behind.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
My kids and some of my pieces of work so far. The most special piece I have produced is a piece for a local furniture company that is now the palace in Monaco.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
In-person or through LinkedIn.
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
Patience, ambition and a desire for knowledge.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
Don’t be afraid to say no.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
Barbie the welder, because of the way she turned around her life, to where she is now and what she has become.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
I enjoy spending time with my family and enjoy sports.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
I suppose the pandemic has helped us appreciate family, and I suppose we all have to adapt our businesses; thankfully, it has had a positive impact.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
I teach teens and young adults in an outreach program part-time.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
Take your time and learn from as many people as you can.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
I think a lot of people don’t see the big picture and don’t have the patience to play the long game.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
Virgin. I think Richard Branson has a great way of believing in his staff.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
I think for me, success is when my pieces create discussion and debate. Of course, everyone has their own opinion, but only your opinion of yourself is what matters.