“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Maya Angelou
This blog is all about a special person, Anne Briggs, who is a woman, a wife, a YouTuber, an Instagram celebrity, a woodturner, a blacksmith, a beekeeper, a farmer, a pets lover, a real-life motivator and a “whatever she likes to be!” How many people can fit all these profiles in one life? No need for brainstorming, as the answer is very simple. Only a few in the whole world is capable of trying and excelling at a wide range of occupations in their life. We call them Jack of all trades. And we call her Anne of all trades!
The Fire behind Anne of all trades:
There is a beginning for everything. We can call it The Idea, The inspiration, The fire. Let’s hear what Anne says about it: “A former city dweller turned homesteader, with no background in farming or making things, I wanted to learn to raise my own food, fix things when they break and build the things I need.”
“Heroes are not born, they are made!”
Anne Briggs, like many of us, was a normal techie working in a company with a fixed salary and a lot of unfulfilled dreams. She always had this dream of living a self-sustainable life. But unlike many of us, she decided to step out of her comfort zone to accomplish her dreams and face the unknown challenges. So when we talk about the most challenging thing she might have done in her life so far, it will be the decision she took to give up city life and a tech job to pursue her dream. It was not easy like they show it in movies. She had to learn each and everything, the basics, calculations, tools usage, etc. She spent a substantial amount of her time with some of the experts in the field and practiced without fail. She fought viciously against her torments and made herself the Anne of all trades from Anne Briggs.
“It’s not the destination, It's the journey.”
When Anne bought a broken farmland in Seattle she didn’t have a clue of where life is going to take her. She always trusted her instincts and believed herself to make her dreams true. Four years of her hard work turned the neglected piece of land to a beautiful homestead. It was her space to learn a lot of things like organic farming, construction, beekeeping, fence making, woodworking, blacksmithing, and many more. She has moved to Nashville, where she found a better opportunity to build much bigger dreams than what she did in Seattle. It was emotional for her to move out of the fairyland she made from her blood sweat and tears. But as it says, its not the destination, its the journey!
Anne the woodworker
Over the past few years, Anne had made many things out of wood. Axehandle, bookshelf, a variety of chairs, tables, kitchen utensils, fence, tiny house, an entire woodshop for working, etc are some of her woodworking achievements. According to Anne, woodworking is a process of getting connected to people and obtaining happiness from it more than the satisfaction of finished products. You can see a lot more than this list on her youtube channel.
Check Anne’s youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AnneofAllTrades/videos
“In time of test, family is best.”
Anne says she learned her basic skills in farming and woodworking from her family. Her grandfather was a woodworker. Adam, her husband, who came to her life 15 years ago is her biggest supporter. He was always there to fulfill her dream. Their marriage span has completed 8 beautiful years of ups and downs like a melodious Beethoven symphony. And she is grateful to have her best friend as part of her life to share all her moments of emotions.
The world of Anne
Anne usually spends her days in her workshop crafting a leather chair or forging a Damascus knife or harvesting her organic farm vegetables or “this so-called list can extend to any limit!”
Anne and Adam love their pets. Anne says animals are the source of her joy and they bring unpredictability. Her farm has a dog, a cat, chickens, alpacas, miniature donkeys, a jersey cow, and Nigerian dwarf goats. She could also teach you how to make pizza, yogurt, cheese, homemade jam, Apple pies, etc.
She has also tried her hand on restoring a 53’ model chevy and Honda CB900C Cafe Racer bike which was successful(not at all surprised after understanding her abilities).
Anne’s parents are musicians and she had her hands on music instruments since childhood. She can play any instruments with strings on it, like a violin, guitar, anything! Her personal favorite is Mandolin which she practices since her teenage years.
“Your limitation—it's only your imagination”
Anne, with her life, has inspired a lot of people. Her beautiful venture has given a new insight to people, specifically girls, who thought certain works are gender-biased. She wants to show the world that being self-dependent is a choice that anyone can make. She proved that a farmer or a craftsman doesn’t need to look old and dull, that those profiles are promising, healthy, and something that can fill your mind with satisfaction and joy at the end of the day.
