Lifestyle

6 Tips to Help You Create the Ultimate Garage Workshop

Published

5 years ago

September 23, 2020

A garage might be designed for parking cars and protecting lawn equipment from the elements, but these spaces are far more versatile. They can serve a variety of purposes – ranging from a teenage bonus room to a storage unit. But if you really want to make the most out of this space, you should consider transforming it into your ultimate garage workshop.

Whether you mess around with woodworking, do a little welding on the side, have a knack for home projects, or like tinkering with engines, a garage workshop provides the perfect environment for rolling up your sleeves and knocking out projects.

Here are a few helpful tips to assist you in creating the ultimate garage workshop of your dreams:

Get a Solid Workbench

Every garage workshop needs a rock-solid bench to serve as the main work area. While you can make a workbench out of any number of materials, a hard and heavy top is absolutely key. You can either make your own or buy a premade option from the store.

“Premade workbenches run $100 to $500 and come in many lengths; they’re usually 24 inches deep,” home improvement expert Larry Erickson explains. “A 38-inch height is typical, but you might be more comfortable with a work surface as low as 36 or as high as 42 inches. Some benches include vises, drawers, and shelves.”

If you build one yourself, you should be able to get some quality materials for $100 or less. If you want some more complex features or finer materials, $300 to $500 is a more realistic price range.

Establish an Organization System

It’s not the most engaging of topics, but a good workshop must be organized. Installing the right organization system from the start will ensure you have the space and freedom to work on projects without having to reorganize piles of junk every time you want to work.

There are hundreds of organization systems on the market, so we’ll let you choose which ones work best for you. Just know that vertical and overhead storage can save you a ton of space!

Install Adequate Lighting

Garages tend to be pretty dark. You might be lucky enough to have a couple of windows, but they probably don’t let in the sort of natural light you need. Plus, opening garage doors during daylight hours can cast some mean shadows across your shop.

Make sure you install adequate task lighting to help you work in a safe and visible environment. While they may not be great for ambience, nothing beats overhead fluorescent lights in terms of cost and brightness.

Keep the Space Comfortable

You want your workshop to be pleasant to work in. And while it probably won’t be as comfortable as the inside of your house, there’s no need to be miserable during the peak of summer or the freezing days of winter.

To ensure maximum comfort, insulate your garage doors. In the winter, try running a gas space heater to warm up the workshop. In the summer, a window AC unit or a couple of well-placed fans can create a cooling effect.

Pay Attention to Air Quality

Whether you’re working with wood or engines, you need to do something to ensure your garage workshop has good ventilation and satisfactory air quality.

“A ceiling exhaust fan is a good start but if you are serious about keeping things clean then your ultimate workshop should also include a dust collection system, central vacuum and air ventilation system,” DIYer Timothy Dahl writes. “All three of these systems will keep the dust, dirt, and other heavy particles off your clothes and out of your lungs which makes for a safer work environment.”

Customize to Your Liking

There are plenty of technical components to setting up a garage workshop – like setting up an organization system and purifying the air – but there’s also plenty of room to get creative.

Your workshop should be a place where you want to work. When you walk into your garage, it should be inviting and energizing. So make sure you customize it to your liking. Put up posters, display your projects, or install a TV so you can watch the big game. Do whatever you can to make this space yours!

Give Your Garage an Upgrade

Every workshop is going to look different – and that’s okay. At the end of the day, a workshop is an intensely personal environment. Take the tips you like, discard the ones you don’t, and architect a space that works for your needs. Before you know it, the garage will become your favorite room in the home.

Lifestyle

Confronting Propaganda: Street Smart Documents Honest Reactions to Gaza Indoctrination Footage

Published

5 days ago

November 6, 2025

Michelle Langton

Photo Courtesy of: Street Smart

Byline: Michelle Langton

In a recent project, the Street Smart team gathered 20 strangers and presented them with propaganda footage from Gaza that has circulated widely online but remains largely unfamiliar to many audiences. The aim wasn’t to provoke outrage or test media literacy in a classroom setting. It was to capture raw, unfiltered emotional reactions to material that reveals how narratives are formed at the source. The resulting video offers a candid look at how people process shocking content and how their perceptions shift when they see what is rarely shown on mainstream platforms.

The Structure of the Experiment

The format was simple. Participants were seated and shown a series of clips from Gaza, including children’s programming and broadcasts containing intense ideological messaging. No background information was provided, and viewers were not instructed on how to interpret what they were seeing. After watching, they were asked for immediate reactions.

The footage elicited a wide range of emotions. Some viewers were stunned by the content, admitting they had never seen anything like it before. Others expressed disbelief, questioning why this kind of material isn’t more widely discussed. A few were visibly shaken, saying the experience fundamentally altered their understanding of the situation.

By presenting the footage without narration or added commentary, Street Smart allowed participants’ genuine responses to emerge. The experiment revealed how propaganda can affect an entire generation. It can shock, unsettle, and force people to reconsider their assumptions.

Why This Project Matters

Sage Fox and Dorani aligned the purpose of this experiment with Street Smart’s broader mission of challenging prevailing narratives and encouraging critical thought among younger audiences. In an environment where footage spreads rapidly across digital platforms, propaganda can shape public opinion long before context catches up.

By showing the Gaza Indoctrination footage in a controlled setting and recording uncoached responses, the team aimed to expose the emotional and cognitive impact of this type of content.

“The first reaction is often the most revealing, because it shows how powerful images can be without context.”

The Range of Reactions

While each participant brought their own perspective, several themes emerged. Some expressed sympathy with the imagery itself, saying it was emotionally powerful.

One participant said, “It makes me question what I see online every day. How much of it is shaped this way?”

Their comments highlight how propaganda resonates differently depending on prior knowledge and exposure. Many viewers have simply never encountered such footage directly.

Street Smart’s Approach

This project continues a pattern established by Sage Fox & Dorani’s earlier videos. Rather than relying on experts or lengthy analysis, Street Smart focuses on real people and their honest reactions. The approach is simple but effective. Present potent material, listen to what people say, and share those moments with a wider audience.

The Gaza Indoctrination footage experiment fits this model. It doesn’t attempt to draw final conclusions or offer political commentary. Instead, it documents how people respond when they’re exposed to narratives that are usually filtered through intermediaries.

Implications for Media Literacy

Beyond its viral potential, the video raises broader questions about how people interact with powerful imagery online. Propaganda operates on emotional reflexes. As this experiment shows, those reflexes are often unexamined until they’re brought to the surface.

Sage Fox & Dorani hope that projects like this push audiences to think more critically about what they see and share.

“The purpose is not to tell people what to believe. It is to remind them that every image comes from somewhere, and that source matters,” they said.

Next Steps for Street Smart

As Street Smart’s platform grows, Sage Fox & Dorani plan to conduct similar experiments in different contexts. They intend to use their direct, street-level approach to highlight how people react when presented with challenging material.

The Gaza footage project is one piece of a larger mission. The team uses simple methods to shed light on complex issues. By focusing on authentic reactions, they continue to build a unique space in online media that blends cultural investigation with raw human response.

A Window into Unfiltered Thought

“We showed 20 strangers real propaganda footage from Gaza — and filmed their unfiltered reactions” is not a dramatic exposé or academic study. It is a clear, unmediated record of how individuals respond when confronted with material designed to persuade. In that restraint lies its strength.

By documenting these moments, Street Smart shows how awareness can begin with a pause. A brief space between seeing and believing.