![dithered photo of woodworking vise](/vise.png)

<h1>Measure twice,<br/>vise thrice.</h1>

Makers, always mind your
[degrees-of-freedom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degrees_of_freedom). Nobody
can do their best work on wobbly projects.

[Vises](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vise) reduce movement in undesirable
directions. They help you focus your energy in limited axes.

Good measurements are wasted on uneven cuts, and vice versa.

Consider woodworking. Holding a [2×4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumber) with
a hand instead of a vise means (1) you can't use both arms to cut, (2) you must
cut at reduced speed to maintain accurate cuts (and balance), (3) you can't use
your full weight in the cut because part of your body is being used to hold down
the project, (4) you waste work on stabilizing orthogonally to the cut vector,
and (5) playing
[6D chess](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_freedom#Robotics) with
yourself to manage roll/pitch/yaw on two independent objects.

[^note]:
    From a physics perspective, a bench vise provides stability via friction
    between the clamp and object applied by screw/ratchet (x/z planes), plus
    friction between the bench legs and the shop floor (x/y planes) provided by
    the weight of the table.

This "clamping/cutting" philosophy translates to other domains.

For example, drawing has many specialized tools to guide pen/pencil movement,
like
[clipboards](https://www.amazon.com/clipboard-clipboards-Profile-Sketching-Supplies/dp/B09WZYYRW8/ref=sr_1_10?crid=3PNL9CAYC9PTL),
[mirrors](https://vermirror.com),
[french curves](https://www.amazon.com/Staedtler-571-Shapes-French-57140WP/dp/B002M5DR1U/ref=sr_1_1?crid=X4FIERVLL986),
and
[rulers](https://www.amazon.com/Architectural-Architect-Triangular-Blueprint-Architecture/dp/B07QWRG5G7/ref=sr_1_10?crid=3I3HYHFHT08WG).

Furthermore, you can clamp down ideas to winnow down a problem space.

[Artificial constraints](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constrained_writing) and
[oblique strategies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oblique_Strategies) promote
creative decisions by eliminating options.

To reduce DOF on projects, identify axes that move independently of each other.
Hold irrelevant variables constant while exerting effort.

Here are some virtual axes I've stumbled upon in various disciplines. I usually
clamp them in the order listed for each category:

- **drawing:** punchline, storyboard, subjects, perspective, form, lighting,
  detail
- **music composition:** vibes, lyrics, themes/motifs, earworms, grooves,
  chords/arps, "sprinkles"
- **music mixing/mastering:** clean up samples, play with synth knobs,
  pan/position/stereo, automations, instrument eq, reverb/effects, bandpass,
  gates, sidechains, kill the mud, compressors, limiters
- **gardening:** weather/temperature/acidity/nutrients (germinate indoors then
  move outside)
- **software:** data/db layouts
  (["impossible states"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcgmSRJHu_8)), ui
  prototype, integration tests, api stubs, mvp, scalability/performance, ui
  styles, [decompress/compress](/code-collocates), correctness/validation,
  security audit, hands-off deployments
- **writing:** ideas, message/rhetoric/arguments, structure/vehicle,
  grammar/clarity