Trying something new
Man, the trials and tribulations of trying something new. I have worked for a long time to just get one picture from an external hard drive on to this blog. I have deleted, reloaded, rewritten, reentered until I am sick of it. And you only get to see one picture of one carving. There are 500 more to see. Perhaps the Gallery and Gift site will one day have many more.
Have you tried carving yet? It will be the same. Trial and error. Get excited after seeing something interesting. Try. Struggle and frustration. Put it away. And then, try again. Something! A carving someone recognizes. A carving someone wants. A carving you like. (By the way, those will be the ones you won’t want to let go.) Keep at it. Would love to hear anyone’s “first time” story. It could be a carving story, but any one will be great to hear.
And if anyone has some advice for a carver trying to use tech to share a passion in his life give me a comment. Trying something new is always more fun when you share the trouble and the triumphs with others.
Carving Tip #1: Hold on to some of the first carvings you do. Resist the temptation to throw them into the fire. Put them into a box labeled “Early Work.” On occasion take them out. You will be amazed at your progress.
#9 Old World Santas
Persistence pays off. Even got them into the Gift Shop.
#7 “A New Piece of Wood”
Beginning this blog is like beginning a new carving. One finds a piece of wood and wonders, what next. This blog is in place. The system works. A new screen pops up and…… All the excitement is there. All the interest in making something new happen. But in the back of your mind you have loads of questions. Beginner questions. What am I doing this for? How did I get this far? Now what? Will anything come of this? Is this another one of those hobbies that I have begun and will soon die? What if I cut myself? Will I be any good at this? I really don’t want anyone to see my work – I’ll never be as good as “Mel” or “Joe.” How do I know I have a good piece of wood? Do I have the right tool? “Mel” made it look so easy, will I get the hang of it? Where do I begin? What if I get stuck? What if I make a mistake?
The answer to many of those questions will only come through time and effort. My first blog answer is right here. I have no idea how to manage a blog. So, here is a first attempt. Is it right? Who is to say that my blog isn’t right? Could it be better? Yes, of course. No one has read it yet. It is just a new beginning. Rookies always make mistakes. But the rookies that remain rookies are the ones that never try, never pick up an new piece of wood or start a new blog entry. In blogging or wood carving “newbies” (the wood carving term for a rookie) too often fail to achieve success because they are unwilling to make mistakes from which they can learn.
This first blog entry, for example, may be a great mistake. I don’t even know if this is the right spot to enter blogs. I don’t know if it will enter. Will I have any good tags anyone will want to connect to? Can I “repair” or change what I send.
So here’s my first “cuts” in the world of blogging. And you, when will you pick up your first piece of wood and make your first cuts. Overcome the fears. Set aside the stifling questions. Find a knife, a book, a friend to encourage you, a quiet place to sit, and a comfortable spot where you can make a mess. Enjoy your beginnings in carving. My first blog, may it not be the last, has been interesting and exciting. Shalom.
John Klompmaker Carving 