Hi. I found your blog by accident roaming through the internet. I really like your perspective of the world and your takes on beauty, work etc. A lot of what you write here is stuff that I 've been thinking about a lot for the past decade but I never got to form them properly in my head in ideas, or even arguments. Your pieces are a good start to do so.
I hope and I 'm sure your custom home project will turn out just the way you 're planning to.
This is an excellent modern telling of Tom Sawyer painting the fence white. Only I like the timber framing version much better. Once the student gets going, the teachers (and a community of helpful people) arrive.
Nice essay! I'm glad a friend shared the link to your Substack with me. So many people seem to be afraid of trying something new because of failure. Or maybe they just don't want to be a beginner. They think they need to come out of the box an "expert" (or at least already pretty darn good at what they're attempting) and where's the fun in that?
I recently finished a woodshed, the structure completely done in logs I harvested on my property.
"Where you learn to do that," a friend asked.
"I'm learning as I go," I said. "Never tried it before."
"Oh, I could never do that," they said.
As I thought about that comment later, it made me sad. Nothing preventing them from doing something like that, or something even cooler, except their own fear of, I don't know . . . of the unknown? of failure? of ridicule?
And yes, absolutely, that bastard Failure is a great teacher. I'm happy to say it has been my friend for many, many years.
What a wonderful article! Having ADHD, I struggled for years with this very real thing of fearing failure and not trying. When I turned 60, I started creating, first with epoxy resin, epoxy tumblers, then wire, acrylic paintings, then making simple earrings and necklaces. I am still learning every day and have built a (very) modest income stream selling items at my job at medical scrub uniform shop. I retire in two years and cannot wait to expand and hone my skills!
Love this - and that it starts with one of my favourite quotes! One thing that I find hard is that what I chose to learn takes a long/slow time - growing mycelium as a biomaterial for sculpture and regeneration. When an experiment fails, I feel discouraged from sharing, doubt comes in, especially when you're learning and running the project by yourself. Have you encountered doubt through the process? I'm thinking of sharing the doubt of the process too, as not only "learning in public", but also "processing in public". :)
Always a pleasure to read your writings in my inbox brother. This is a wonderful piece that has inspired me. Ive wanted to learn watercolor painting for almost 7 years now. Maybe I need to stop waiting for the perfect moment and the perfect teacher and just start painting! what could possibly go wrong?!
Hi. I found your blog by accident roaming through the internet. I really like your perspective of the world and your takes on beauty, work etc. A lot of what you write here is stuff that I 've been thinking about a lot for the past decade but I never got to form them properly in my head in ideas, or even arguments. Your pieces are a good start to do so.
I hope and I 'm sure your custom home project will turn out just the way you 're planning to.
Much love from Athens, Greece.
This is an excellent modern telling of Tom Sawyer painting the fence white. Only I like the timber framing version much better. Once the student gets going, the teachers (and a community of helpful people) arrive.
Lovely. Thank you, this is beautiful writing. I've been sleepwalking for a long time and I'm tired of it. 😊
Thank you
"Let us meet the Muses there."
Nice essay! I'm glad a friend shared the link to your Substack with me. So many people seem to be afraid of trying something new because of failure. Or maybe they just don't want to be a beginner. They think they need to come out of the box an "expert" (or at least already pretty darn good at what they're attempting) and where's the fun in that?
I recently finished a woodshed, the structure completely done in logs I harvested on my property.
"Where you learn to do that," a friend asked.
"I'm learning as I go," I said. "Never tried it before."
"Oh, I could never do that," they said.
As I thought about that comment later, it made me sad. Nothing preventing them from doing something like that, or something even cooler, except their own fear of, I don't know . . . of the unknown? of failure? of ridicule?
And yes, absolutely, that bastard Failure is a great teacher. I'm happy to say it has been my friend for many, many years.
What a wonderful article! Having ADHD, I struggled for years with this very real thing of fearing failure and not trying. When I turned 60, I started creating, first with epoxy resin, epoxy tumblers, then wire, acrylic paintings, then making simple earrings and necklaces. I am still learning every day and have built a (very) modest income stream selling items at my job at medical scrub uniform shop. I retire in two years and cannot wait to expand and hone my skills!
Love this - and that it starts with one of my favourite quotes! One thing that I find hard is that what I chose to learn takes a long/slow time - growing mycelium as a biomaterial for sculpture and regeneration. When an experiment fails, I feel discouraged from sharing, doubt comes in, especially when you're learning and running the project by yourself. Have you encountered doubt through the process? I'm thinking of sharing the doubt of the process too, as not only "learning in public", but also "processing in public". :)
Always a pleasure to read your writings in my inbox brother. This is a wonderful piece that has inspired me. Ive wanted to learn watercolor painting for almost 7 years now. Maybe I need to stop waiting for the perfect moment and the perfect teacher and just start painting! what could possibly go wrong?!