A View From An Outsider
It is pretty easy to forget the wonderment of what we create on our simple Woodturning machines with a few steel cutting tools. Many of us have spent years perfecting our craft and honing our sense of form and purpose. When seen through the eyes of someone not involved in our craft, many of them cannot even imagine the skill and energy that can go into one of our projects. The other side of the coin will find folks who literally cannot imagine how anyone would be able to produce such wonderful art. They have no concept of the process, the planning, or the equipment involved and have little appreciation for what it actually takes.
One of my early mentors was a fellow from England, Chris Stott. A short excerpt from his book “Turned Boxes 50 Designs” will illustrate the point perfectly:
“There were a few well–known turners at the show demonstrating on the trade stands. Just two of them stopped by to talk: Phil Reardon and Alan Batty. Allen’s comment ‘I like your work — keep it up’ was all the encouragement I needed, and I thank him for taking the trouble to stop and look. Ever since then I have tried to work on the basis that an ounce of encouragement is worth a pound of criticism, and if you have to criticize it should be constructive. This is a stark contrast to the comments I overheard outside a craft fair in a northern resort. Two old ladies were chatting and one of them said ‘We’ll not go in there — it is only things they have made themselves.”
Sometimes you are perceived as an artiste* of unimaginable talent, other times you are perceived as a whittler of homemade trinkets. Do not believe either one! Just understand different people will perceive you according to their experience not yours. Some of the best advice anyone ever gave me is this, “You have begun a great journey, my son. If you stop to answer every barking dog along the way you will never get to where you are going.” Enjoy what you do, always strive to do it better and enjoy the journey, because wherever you go there you are.
* — an artistic or creative person
Here is my inspiration for this message:
Proverbs 18:15–16 NIV, The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out. A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.
