Meet Nic Meyer of Rhino and Ravens Forge in Elizabeth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nic Meyer.

Nic, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Rhino and Ravens Forge is a one man smithy that hand forges custom knives, unique pieces of iron art, simple iron utensils and implements for daily life. I am drawn to the craft and art of Blacksmithing which takes discarded pieces of iron and steel and shaping it with heat and hammer into something useful and beautiful. I am ever learning the art of fire and steel.

 The journey for me began almost 20 yrs ago when I was stationed at Ft Carson. My combative instructor was a full-time blacksmith who lived in Woodland Park and he opened his smithy to me and it was there that I caught the spark and the desire to work Iron with heat and hammer. It wasn’t till I retired in 2012 that I started to really pursue blacksmithing as an art and a avenue by which I was able to heal. I started to take classes from David Norrie in Berthoud and learning to be a competent smith. From there I have continued to expand my talents by working with masters and exploring the craft by just trial and error. One of the passions I have is to share the craft, the art of blacksmithing with anyone who wants to learn.

My vision is that I want to build a place, a workspace, a retreat, a community, that can be the central hub of the “tribe/team” concept and start rebuilding those bonds that we as Veterans and individuals, all feel we have lost as we transition from the military back into civilian life. I envision this space as a community blacksmith/forge shop that will allow Veterans, their families and the community to come to learn some smithing skills and reconnect with neighbors over a fire, an anvil, some sweat and just good old-time cross the campfire talking!! My goal and dream is to have a sanctuary a dirty, hot, non-clinical space that allows the individual, the tribe, a “shrink/witch doctor” to have a “counseling session” over an anvil in a forge environment, surrounded by others who understand, respect and appreciate what is going on internally and support the healing with no judgement!!

One of the things that I struggled with and continue to struggle with, (and I know if I do, then others must fight with it as well) is the sense of “loss” – not in the sense that I dropped my keys and I can’t find the kind of loss – but a deeper “more central to my core” loss! A sense of being alone, in a sea of people, who can’t see or hear me because they are all too busy with their own lives to put down the electronic devices, get out of their own little sphere of troubles and engage with me in an intimate and emotional level.

I think that (at least for me) this sense loss is the loss of the “tribe/team” bond that I had during my time in the service, that primal bond and connection that I had with my Ranger/battle buddy. It’s more than just friendship, the word friendship is far too shallow (not saying that in bad use of the word) to encompass the kind of connection that I think at some level we are all longing for. I believe this is true for both the Veteran population and for individuals in their daily lives. The best I can do in words is to describe it as a primal blending of love, comradery, friendship, sense of purpose and belonging, etc!

I want to build a place that can be that central hub of the idea of the “tribe/team” and start rebuilding those bonds and the sense of belonging to a “tribe/team” again. My vision of this place is that it be a “sanctuary” where individuals – Veterans, their families, Law Enforcement and First Responders and anyone in the community, who longs for a place to come and just BE – BE accepted as they are, BE welcomed with no judgement, BE up held physically, mentally and spiritually, BE appreciated, and BE loved! A place to just BE! I think that this sense of belonging and acceptance is far more important for healing and growth of the mind and body than sitting in a sterile office with a therapist talking about our “issues/conflicts/voices of our fallen”.

I refuse to think and let others think of these issues that are rolling/roaming/running around in our heads and hearts as “problems”. To me this is the mindset of a victim; and I for one, refuse to view myself and others as victims! We need to get past the idea that this is a “Disorder” as in the naming “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” (PTSD), I believe words have power! It is no more a “disorder’ than the injuries suffered by athletes and as a society, we must accept and be willing to help in the healing and growth of those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS).

These injuries/pains/mental tears are present, placed there by events that we’ve experienced through the course of our chosen professions and passing through these experiences we are left with injuries with “growing pains”. These injuries/pains/mental tears are no different, in my view, then the injuries/pains felt after had a hard work out or a long run; that lactic acid burn, the pain of the blisters, the burn and ache of torn muscles. There is no shame when an athlete says they can hardly move and need help to get better because of the injury/pain their body is experiencing after a particularly brutal workout. Likewise, there should be no shame when someone says they are hurting from the tearing/blistering/aching of the mind and soul after it experiences things that stretched it out of its normal boundaries which leaves them needing help getting better. An athlete recovers and heals by getting therapy – soaking in a hot tub, getting a massage, taking medication to assist in the repair of those torn and stretched muscles should the individual, whose mind has been injured recover and heal by getting therapy by “soaking in a hot tub” or getting “a massage” or take some “medication” to help heal the torn tissues of the body/heart/mind/soul.

I believe that this kind of “therapy” should happen in a place/a workspace/a retreat within the community, where the injured, can stand next to or across from a supportive brother/sister, together working on a piece of hot steel, sweat, engaging the mind by turning imagination and idea into something physical and unique, knowing in the heart that the other person gets it, the IT of just being together. We both know that is exactly what I need to do, to work through some of the confusion/conflict/voices in my head. Sometimes the need to just sweat, cuss, get dirty, get pissy and know at the end of that, the person across the fire or anvil or workbench needed the exact same thing to process and organize that confusion/conflict/voices in our heads! Nothing more, nothing less; just somebody to stand there with me and be there as I struggle through the “bush/jungle/unknown” of the stuff in my brain, which is stopping my healing and growth.

I don’t think it’s any different than doing a long grueling military land navigation evaluation course and you are out there by yourself and your heavy backpack, hiking off the miles and for that brief moment you cross paths with another person out there enduring the same pain/experience/challenge – you both know that you’re not supposed to talk to each other or help each other, but you both do anyway! And after you’ve both gone your separate ways, you’ve shared a moment, a connection with someone who is out there in the same grueling situation as you. That brief connection, in that space and time, gets your head straight and you are once again focused and back in the game again. So to speak!

The most important part (core) of this idea is that there needs to be a mechanism where there are also professionals on staff as part of the “tribe/team” that can offer more “professional help” if it’s needed. Offered in a way that is safe and secure for individuals, who are A type personalities, who says, “There’s no way in HELL I’m talking to a shrink!!!” There must be a tie into the clinical professionals, who can work with the bigger and more serious issues that the members of the “tribe/team” are not capable of dealing with. However, these professionals must be part of that “tribe/team” and not an outsider; a “tribal witch doctors” so to speak, who is there to help when the rest of the tribe can’t get the individual out of their “funk” in their mind. This “tribal witch doctor” is there to ensure that those that need more focused help get that help and can continue to heal and grow.

I am not naïve enough to think that the coming together; the brotherhood, the shared experiences or sitting around the campfire, is the complete answer to the “injuries/conflicts/voices of the fallen” in our heads/hearts/souls; however I believe there needs to be a process to have ALL options available in a safe and non-threatening environment. I understand that there is very little way to completely eliminate the stigma of asking for/needing help. The “I’m not talking to a mental health professional because WHO KNOWS who is eventually going to get that record!” mentality is a HUGE “barrier to entry” for a lot of individuals in their search for help. I think there need to be ways to get the help you need/want without having that “fear” of “Damocles’ Sword” hanging over your head. All I care about is HELPING and that is what I want the Forge Therapy to be, a place of healing and growth.

My goal and dream is to have a place /a workspace/a retreat – a dirty, hot, non-clinical space – that allows the individual, the tribe, a “shrink/witchdoctor” to have a “counseling session” over an anvil in a forge environment, surrounded by others who understand, respect and appreciate what is going on internally and support the healing with no judgement!!

My concept for the workspace is that the location needs to have floor space to have 6-10 workstations. Each workstation needs a large anvil, a gas forge, and the necessary tools to work the metal. There needs to also be an area, as part of the bigger space, that allows for people to sit and “hang out”, a place that everyone can sit around a “campfire” and talk about what is going on in their lives, in their heads. It needs to be part of the bigger space with no barriers between the workspace and the “campfire”. This is important because I feel that it is this “separation” from the group/the tribe/team to get “counseling” that is part of the challenge of seeking help. I don’t believe that the challenge for most of us is admitting that we are having challenges with the stuff rolling around in our heads that we can’t deal with or don’t know how to deal with; I believe that it is the fact that if we go to get help in the traditional clinical environment, we are separated from our group/the tribe/team and it is this separation that we fear.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The challenge is not having enough time in the day to share what I love with as many people as I can!

Please tell us about business.
One of the things that set me apart for other businesses is that Blacksmithing is a vanishing art, it’s a craft that very few do anymore and yet has a huge draw of interest from the masses and my passion is to share it with as many people as I can. So often when I’m giving a demo or teach, I heard “have you ever seen the show Forged in Fire, it’s a Blacksmithing show, is love to do that!”

I am far from being a master and yet I know more than many, I have a shop that allows me to share my love of forging with anyone interested in trying their hand at it. The light and pride of accomplishment, that fills the eyes and smiles of someone who makes their first hook or knife is amazing to see and experience. That is what makes this job so much more than a job, it’s my passion.

I am often asked where the inspiration for my logo came from. I have always been drawn to both the rhinoceros and the raven and when considering the symbolism for my logo and the principles on which I wanted to base my business, I immediately knew that I had to incorporate both. So this is the why of it – in the logo, the Rhino and the Raven are opposing aspects of the same circle. (The ying/yang, light/dark, earth/sky, heavy/light, slow/agile, grounded/free.) This duality that both represent and reflect on each other.

It is this “opposite sides of the same coin” imagery that I wanted to use when I created the image that represents me and those within my circle. Thus the image of the ying/yang – Rhino/raven was born. I see myself as the Rhino – grounded, solid, loyal, somewhat shortsighted, aggressive, protective of my tribe, bound to the earth, a strong physical presence, powerful and steady.

I see those around me who are part of my circle as the Ravens – free to come and go, flexible, courageous, able to see the big picture from high on the wing, wise and calm,to be able to take flight and soar beyond the boundaries of my perception, fast, agile, persistent, intelligent, foresighted, problem solvers. These are exactly the kind of people that I have around me and who directly contribute to my success and the success of this business.

When I look at the logo I see me, the Rhino, on the bottom of the circle, grounded the individual around which the Ravens flying high in the sky, free to come and go, who bring to me and the business the support/opportunities/guidance/intelligence that I need to be successful. Without them I would be lost, just wandering around the savanna trying to find my way.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is seeing the shine of accomplishment in the eyes of a student after they have created something they thought was impossible for them to create, the smile of satisfaction from a customer who has just received a one of a kind piece of forged iron that will add a truly unique joy to their lives. As a creator and artist, I find sharing my craft with others to be the truest kind of accomplishment!

My goal is to one day be able to open a shop that will be a place that the community comes together and spend time working together to use their imaginations and create things that inspire and motivate others to get out of their comfort zones and explore all that this big wide world has to offer.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rnrforge.com
• Phone: 719-930-4684
• Email: nic@rnrforge.com

Image Credit:
These are all my own photos.

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