1. 11community
the arabian sun
blueprint for living your craft
a woodcarver’s messageby Kainat Qazi
Ras Tanura — When Steve Smith first ar-
rived in Saudi Aramco in 1983 as part of an
elite coaching staff to run an intersession-
al gymnastics camp, he was immediately
struck by what he saw — almost everybody
in Aramco had hobbies. He was amazed
by how those pursuits served to bring the
community together.
It was a no-brainer then that when Smith
returned to the company in 1996, this time
as a physical education teacher, he would
use the auspicious environment to recon-
nect with his age-old passion for woodcarv-
ing.
The prevalence of pastimes and their ac-
tive pursuit by Aramcons was a stimulating
scene for Smith, who as a teenager was
into woodworking. And while a college
and competitive sports career meant that
the art would have to be relegated to the
back burner, he found time to study carv-
ing in the U.S. and in prominent institutes
across Europe.
Ultimately, he fell in love with the vari-
ous approaches to pedagogy, symbols, and
stories characteristic of Asian designs. For
Smith, his second stint at Saudi Aramco en-
abled him to cultivate his craft in tandem
with his career as a teacher. The experience
was transformative.
sharpening the saw
“You need a break, and a hobby gives
you that refreshment. I think that can pay
bigger dividends when you go back into
the workplace … (in terms of) transfer of
creativity,” he says. If there are no alterna-
tive outlets for creativity, he explained, then
it becomes difficult to consistently produce
results on-the-job in a single static environ-
ment, and you can burn out.
Given the premium Smith has placed on
creative pursuits throughout his life, the fol-
lowing is a blueprint he has developed for
those engaged in pastimes to consider:
• Education – How can you teach and in-
spire others to pursue excellence?
• Motivation – How can you enable pas-
sion and dedication toward a craft?
• Promotion – How can you advance the
craft within the community?
• Humanitarianism – How can you use
your skills to benefit others?
When he’s not running drills in the school
gym, Smith can be found teaching middle
schoolers how to fashion products from
wood. With their enthusiasm for hands-on
projects and a penchant for ingenuity, his
students have been exceptional sources of
inspiration for him.
The accompanying sense of ownership
and accomplishment his students feel, he
says, stand as a testament to the abilities
of a craft to expand the mind and empow-
er people. “A hobby is great on its own,”
he advises, “but a valuable opportunity
is missed if it doesn’t foster growth in its
learners.”
motivating others
Motivating others to join an activity can
happen in many ways. For Smith, such
an incentive transpired through an unas-
suming egg-shaped bowl that had once
stopped him mid-walk at a marketplace
in Thailand. Though no special use for it
seemed clear, after some thought and in-
carnations, the wooded basin became a
“bling bowl” — a handy nighttime de-
pository for his wife’s valuables before she
went to bed. Enamored with the story, the
name, and the inventive manner in which
their teacher had given meaning to a seem-
ingly futile object, Smith’s students became
emboldened to sculpt the same enchanting
vessel.
The key to a craft’s longevity, however,
is in its promotion, says Smith. One event
that had a particularly monumental impact
was a 2013 visit of Khalid A. Al-Falih, now
chairman of the Saudi Aramco Board of
Directors, and Andrew Liveris, the CEO of
Dow Chemical Co., to Smith’s workplace in
Ras Tanura.
Smith and his students shared a well-re-
ceived woodwork production for the re-
spected guests. In receiving the chance to
exhibit his passion and illustrate his craft,
Smith recalls, “It meant the world that two
of the most powerful guys came down to
share in the community’s hobbies.”
Arguably, pursuits rendered for humani-
tarian causes have had the most enduring
effects. After Nepal’s disastrous earthquake
last year, Smith and his students came up
with The Endless Knot Project, a mission to
produce and sell carvings shaped such as
knots typically found in tourist shops in Ne-
pal. Proceeds went to relief organizations
in the devastated country. In one week, a
schoolwide community service endeavor
built and sold 37 knots, raising just under
$1,000.
The gesture was especially heart-warm-
ing for Smith’s Nepalese friend, one of
the most famous woodcarvers in the
grief-stricken nation. The fact that novice
carvers had invested in efforts to contribute
to rebuilding his country moved him great-
ly. Smith praised the students for taking
“their (craft) to the next level (and) giving
up free time for the service of others.” One
project had shown the students’ ambitions
to extend the writ of art to not only move
the observer emotionally, but to also bene-
fit the community tangibly.
nothing goes to waste
Hobbies undoubtedly come with their
fair share of challenges. “Don’t be afraid to
make mistakes,” Smith counsels.
An apt illustration of this concept comes
in the form of a dejected 11-year old stu-
dent who thought he had made a mistake
with a wooden butter knife he was to rep-
licate as a project. Upon inspection, Smith
noted the boy hadn’t made a mistake but
had actually improved the design by giving
it a more aerodynamic look. Mind-blowing
as it was, the event taught both pupil and
teacher alike that some “mistakes” can ac-
tually turn into major breakthroughs.
Saudi Aramco is a resourceful haven for
extra-career activities. For those looking to
try new pursuits and develop their skills,
two foundational texts Smith recommends
and regularly refers to for motivational
anchorage are Geoffrey Colvin’s Talent is
Overrated and Carol Dweck’s Mindset.
The writings come seeped with priceless
lessons for all, he noted.
Smith often likes to jest with his students,
“One can produce accomplished works of
art, or designer firewood.” The implication:
nothing ever goes to waste. And that’s pre-
cisely the indomitable value of hobbies —
not only are they a convenient outlet for
the most resolute imaginations, but they
are also agents of game-changing personal,
professional, and communal development.
Thirty-two years since first landing on the
Kingdom’s shores, Smith still marvels.
Christina Estevez works on a project to help in
the Nepal relief efforts.
Steve Smith, shown here working on his award-winning Mandals project, is a strong advocate of de-
veloping hobbies such as woodworking. Smith won the 2011 Editor’s Choice Award for “Woodcarving
Illustrated” and was also a 2012 finalist for International Woodworker of the Year.
One can produce
accomplished
works of art, or
designer firewood.
— Steve Smith
”