Which do you think is best?

[jillsy]

It's funny how artists differ on their opinion about learning a craft. Some feel if you really want to be good at what you do, you should concentrate on ONE thing, otherwise, you lose your focus and time to hone your skills.

Others, in total contrast, believe it's good to try your hand at all your creative outlets. This keeps you constantly open to new possiblities to learn.

This is one of my personal battles! Sometimes, I just want to focus all my energy on carving, trying to get better and better. Then there are times I just have no inspiration so try other things. It seems more and more to me that testing new waters helps rejuvenate me and clear my mind.

This past week, I accidentally discovered something called "needle felting". I had never heard or seen this in my life. But, I liked what I saw and jumped head first into this new craft. It's incredibly stress-reducing, quick and easy to learn so I also get instant gratification (unlike carving where I can spend hours just lopping off excess wood).

Carving is my true love, but having a new creative outlet has helped motivate me and get the wheels turning. I also found that after 2 nights of needlefelting, I was totally inspired to carve and finished 3 more Santas.

So I was wondering, do you find that focusing all your energy on one art form is best or is it better to keep your hands in different things?

Jillsy

ps HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

[Keoma]

I think, for me definately, that trying my hand at whatever interests me is the best thing for me.
I just finished up a quilt and my new blouse. I love to sew. I also love to paper craft...not scrapbooking...that drives me nuts...but I like to make Victorian and old world ornaments and decorations.
In fact, I love to decorate. I like to make things more beautiful around me and I love to add to what is there.
I have so many different interests, all being my passion at that moment. Carving is my true love, but I have many lusts In fact, I am sooo into my scrollsaw right now. Making snowflake after snowflake...
Great thread. I love to hear other peoples ideas and thoughts.
Your liking the needle felting then? I have been going to try that. It looks really fun.
Do you embroider? I love to do that. I think I just like to keep my hands busy. My husband just told me this morning that he envied me in a way. he said that my creativity saves me from a lot of lifes aggrevations. I think he is right. It is an outlet for sure!

[CarverFromNoWhere]

I like to do many other things then carving, when I get sick or burnt out doing one I switch to something else. I was turning many scoops for an order and after about 30 I was getting tired of doing the same thing over and over so I decided to go back to carving, working on some carvings right now and then I am also working on some knives.

So I would say it's good to have more then one hobby or craft to work on, I find mine to go in waves it is normally carving, turning, carving, knives, carving, and then turning after that it starts over sometimes I wont carve for a month or I wont turn for a month. There is also other stuff mixed in there running the sawmill, building stuff, agricultural work (plowing fields, cutting brush, tilling gardens ect) and whatever else I feel like working on.

Carl

[xsailer]

I have sooo many hobbies and "like to's" I will never hurt for things to get tiresome. For the last 3 years carving has been my thing to do. Before that I'd been working on a wet clay sculpture which is finished and under plastic waiting for final touchs. FINAL TOUCHES FOR 3 YRS ON WET CLAY. That's what carving has done to me. If I tire of both of those I have numerous art methods to work. Stone sculpture is calling me but now, its too cold. Painting I love, but haven't tired of carving yet. Buying more gouges! My biggest fear is I won't get done and I won't. In fact I want on my stone under the date "I didn't get finished".

My lady in is needle arts person. What is "needle felting".

[bghebert]

I think it perfectly fine as long as one doesn’t interrupt the other, for example a couple of winters ago I decided to airbrush some designs on my motorcycle, that wasn’t too bad. I had the fenders, tank and side covers off setting on stands for clear coat. I had them shimmering like wet mirrors, not thinking about night time coming and getting colder, I go in the house to let them dry. In the mean time the furnace kicks on and needless to say I had a lot of wet sanding to get out the dust bunnies.

[jillsy]

Keoma, are you ever in a bad mood?! Send some of that positive energy my way! No, I don't embroider, I'm HORRIBLE with a needle and thread, which brings me to Bob's question. Needle felting is just taking balls of wool and jabbing it with a barbed needle up and down until it becomes felt, creating little people, critters, whatever you desire.

You wrap the wool around an armature (made of pipecleaners), jab it until it felts, and make lots of neat things. So far, I've made little elf ornaments and a snowman. I really want to do animals though. Some people are so good at this, their animals look realistic.

Sometimes it's nice to work with a soft material besides hard wood! It's a nice little craft that's low-maintenance that I can work on between carvings. (Or when my arthritis, or whatever it is I have, that acts up and it's too difficult to hold a knife!)

[tucker1931]

Jillsy, there you are and a big heart warm thanks to you. I've done the same dang thing as you (because of you), You posted a couple thread spools on here, I saw them and then started to search for more. I'm so inspired I bought 92 ***'t sizes on Ebay yesterday for $5.00. I also posted an add in Kijji, that's like ebay only free here in our area. Well, a lady emailed me and has sent me a picture of 30 she's giving me for free (can't beat that). Well, the wife had a couple so I carved one real quick and already have it painted to give to the lady with the free ones. I will not stray from wood carving, but, I think I have found my niche (we'll see)
Cliff

[jillsy]

TUCKER! I'm so glad I could inspire you, like Sludgeguy inspired me to carve spools. Please post a pic of yours for all to see!

ps I responded to your pm yesterday, did you get it?

[squbrigg]

Your thoughts strike a cord in my mind. For many years I built ship models, and only ship models. I then tried to do some relief carving and was moderately successful. Eventually I began carving in the round and increased my relief carving, all the while still building ship models. I do/did the carving to improve my results in ship modelling, and that remains my focus.

I must admit, there are stretches when I do a lot more carving than ship modelling, but I always come back to the models, and they keep getting better and better. Getting distracted by other forms of carving, or burning, is an easy thing to do, but I guess it boils down to what you want to perfect, or at least become good at. Some folks like to become proficient at a lot of things, and others expert in one thing. I guess it is all about personality, and individual choice. No wrong answer or right one.

Bob

[Joy]

I've done most types of crafting and sewing in my 66 years. But since I discovered woodcarving I use every available moment to carve. I am afraid I won't live long enough to become as good as I would like to be. So no more crafting for me.