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Business & Tech

Ferndale DIY Profile: Chris Burkeybyle, Designer, Artist, Trainer

As part of our DIY series, we asked Ferndale residents five questions about what DIY means and how they put the philosophy to use.

Chris Burkeybyle creates jewelry, tools, furniture and other works of art at his Ferndale shop, Four Chamber Forge. He is also the founder of Station 515, a DIY fitness gym.

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Burkey (well, technically Chris Burkeybyle, but people have been calling me Burkey for more than half my life), 28-years-old, Ferndale resident for five years. I dropped out of college, bought a house and have been crafting my life around the idea that if I work hard enough. If I am good enough at the things I love to do, I can find a way to make a living from it.

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2. What does DIY mean to you?

DIY at its base is "grass roots," its bottom up design. It is the idea that we are all intelligent and capable people, and if we are willing to put in the time and the effort, then we as a community can solve just about any problem that comes our way. DIY means hard work and compassion. DIY means curiosity and cooperation. DIY is not expecting a handout, not expecting someone else to solve your problems. DIY is practical, it is goal-oriented, it is empowering. To me, the "yourself" part of DIY is often communal. We all have different skill sets. DIY is also recognizing talent, the communal DIY spirit is also all about asking for and offering expertise when and where it is necessary.

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3. Tell us about a DIY project (or projects) who've worked on and why it was DIY.

There are two driving forces in my life: FourChamberForge

The public face for my handy-work. I make furniture, knives, jewelry, books, and frankly anything else that catches my imagination. I have no formal design education and instead ask a lot of questions of people I admire, and make a lot of mistakes. In recent years, I make fewer mistakes and have actually been able to turn a profit from playing in the shop.

The other passion is the Station 515 - DIY fitness.

The same practical ideals - curiosity, function, hard work and responsibility - applied to ones health, physical and emotional, to reclaim and redefine what "fitness" means, to approach these goals without social or media biases, to truly take control of your own conditioning.

It seems like a strange combination but the common thread is design, (it) is recognizing the potential of raw materials and having the knowledge, the will, the time and the tools to remove the dead weight. To strip away that which is preventing an object or an individual from achieving its potential. It is DIY because it has to be self-motivated, because failure is the best teacher, and because of how profoundly personal the concept of "beautiful" or "fit" really are.

4. Why does the DIY attitude fit Ferndale?

The Michigan economy is slow, many people are in a financial pinch. For years, Ferndale has attracted creative people. DIY just means putting that creativity to work. Solving our own problems instead of waiting for some piece of legalization or for Wall Street or for the housing market to come back. We have so many talented and passionate individuals (in Ferndale), people who see a problem and instead of saying "someone should fix that" we can instead think about how we can fix it ourselves. Ferndale is an empowered community, we do things. We make things happen, and that's what DIY is all about.

5. Who is your favorite DIY artist/musician/human?

Mark Twight. former Alpine climber, current bike racer, writer, photographer, and founder of GYM JONES.

This profile is part of Ferndale Patch's month-long where we talk with residents, artists, musicians, crafters, anyone with an opinion about DIY. The project will lead up to the DIY Street Fair Sept. 16-18. If you'd like to participate, email Ferndale Patch editor Terry Parris Jr. at terry.parris@patch.com.

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