The Dream | Wooden Dream Studio

I was born under the wide, sunny skies of Sudan, where my childhood was filled with imagination and quiet hopes. From an early age, I had an innate curiosity about how things were built and a dream blossomed in my heart: to one day create something of my very own. That dream travelled with me across continents. In 2013, I left the familiar warmth of Sudan for the gentle rains of Denmark, carrying little more than a suitcase of clothes and a head full of aspirations. It was both exhilarating and daunting – a new land, a new language, a new life – but through every uncertainty, the dream remained a constant light guiding me forward. In Denmark, I spent years honing my craft as a technical designer and constructor. Day after day, I poured my energy into bringing others' concepts to life – drafting blueprints, calculating structures, ensuring every design was sound. Each project taught me valuable lessons and skills. Yet, as fulfilling as it was to contribute to these creations, I felt a quiet, persistent yearning. Late at night, after the work was done, I would sketch out ideas of my own. I envisioned furniture that carried stories, designs that blended my Sudanese roots with Scandinavian simplicity. The experience I gained on the job was the soil nourishing the dream, but I knew I needed more to make it truly bloom. To cultivate my vision further, I decided to return to the world of study. Enrolling in the Product Development and Innovation (PDI) program at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) was a pivotal step in expanding my knowledge. Back in the classroom, I was older than many of my peers, but brimming with determination. I immersed myself in learning about innovative design processes, sustainable materials, and entrepreneurial thinking. Every lecture and assignment felt like another tool added to my belt, equipping me to build the future I imagined. Balancing full-time work with studies was challenging, but my family cheered me on and I never lost sight of why I started: to bring my own creations to life. Life, however, has a way of testing dreams. In the midst of all these plans and hard work, I was confronted with a sudden, critical illness. One day I was mapping out designs and planning for the future; the next, I found myself in a hospital bed, facing the fragility of my own life. It was the darkest chapter of my journey. There were moments of fear and doubt – nights where the dream seemed to flicker as faintly as a candle in a storm. But I held on. With faith, the support of my loved ones, and an inner resolve I never knew I had, I fought through the illness. Recovery was slow and humbling. Yet, emerging from that trial, I felt reborn with a new clarity: life is precious and too short to postpone our deepest aspirations. If the dream had survived that storm, I owed it to myself to make it real. During my recovery, I purchased a woodworking bench and placed it in the office room. To regain my strength and peace of mind, I began to spend quiet hours there, gently sanding rough pieces of wood and inhaling the comforting scent of sawdust. There, amidst the shavings and wood knots, I found a soothing rhythm. Woodworking became my meditation and my therapy. I felt the stress and pain of the past melt away. I was creating again – not just following technical schematics for someone else’s plans, but actually bringing forth my own ideas with my hands. My family saw how this craft lit up my spirit. In those moments of crafting simple items, they saw the dream coming back to life in my eyes. Their encouragement was unwavering: "You have a gift. This is your calling – go for it," they told me. Not long after, two wonderful things happened in my life at nearly the same time. The first was that I finally decided to start my own woodworking and design studio – the very endeavour I’d been dreaming of for so long. The second was far more personal and profound: the birth of my daughter, Mona. As I held my new-born girl in my arms, I felt a surge of inspiration and love unlike anything before. In a way, her arrival and my decision to create the studio were deeply connected – both marked the beginning of a new life. In those sleepless yet joyful nights rocking Mona to sleep, I often found myself imagining the future again: a future where she could grow up seeing her parent pursue a passion and turn a dream into reality. The first piece that came out of my new studio was crafted during this period, with the same care and wonder that I held for my child. It was a chair – simple in its lines, yet made with meticulous love and dedication. Every curve sanded and every joint secured seemed to carry a piece of my journey: the wisdom earned from years of design work, the innovations sparked in the classroom, the resilience forged in illness, and the heart I poured into those quiet woodworking sessions. I decided to name this special chair “Mona,” after my daughter. It felt only fitting, as both the chair and my little girl were born from the same wellspring of hope and new beginnings. When I look at the Mona chair, I see more than a piece of furniture. I see a symbol of perseverance, love, and the realization of a lifelong dream. Today, “The Dream” is no longer just a dream – it is my reality and my ongoing journey. My studio has become the space where creativity and peace intertwine each day. From carefully selecting each piece of wood to the final strokes of finish on a design, I pour my soul into the work, remembering the path that led me here. Every creation has a story, and this is mine: the story of a boy from Sudan who travelled far from home, learned and struggled, fell and rose, and never let go of a vision. It’s a tale of finding purpose in the most unexpected places – in family, in hardship, and in the grain of wood under my fingertips. As you hold or use any piece crafted in my studio, know that it’s built on years of experience, a foundation of hard-won knowledge, and above all, a bedrock of dreams. “The Dream” began as a small spark in a distant country and grew brighter through every challenge it faced. And it continues to glow, lighting the way forward as I design new pieces and chapters in my life. I hope that spark of passion and hope carries on in everything I create – and perhaps even inspires you to pursue the dreams that light up your own heart.