[TravisJHuval]

Wanted views on Passing along Information."secrets" Does any one have Techniques that they may not share with others?

Just curious about why one would our would not ,and whats the defining reason for passing or not passing information along ?


I have yet to post anything in tips and techniques. this is due to that I have yet to really document how I do any one thing .Further more I'm not familiar with carving history not sure whats considered common knowledge. Don't know if anything that I do is Unique "worth mentioning".

[squbrigg]

"Secrets"........ interesting topic. Had a similar discussion lately at our first carving club meeting, where an older gentleman raised the question, "Would people share their secrets?"

I would ask you this........in response.........."Have you taken the time to go through the archives of messages?"

If you had, you would have found many answers to just about any and every question asked of us by a host of newcomers.

The secret is: There are no secrets!!!!! Just hard work, determination and effort, coupled with some skill, ability and years and years of the secret ingrediant: PRACTICE!

Carving is fun, it becomes a passion, I call it work for lack of a proper term, because it isn't work, it is pleasure, to me .

So, ask your questions about carving, learn to carve and enjoy yourself. When you become proficient, pass on your skills to others, as we do. Or, as I told the older gentleman I refered to above: "If you don't want to share your knowledge and skills, there's the door, don't let it hit you on the *** as you go out!"

Bob

[Paul_Guraedy]

I totally agree with Bob. Luckily, woodcarvers are a gregarious and verbose lot as far as general classification is concerned. The willingness to share knowledge is the engine that has kept woodcarving going and expanded it to the, admittedly small, world that it is today. Most instructors, paid and unpaid, are eager to see those they are assisting succeed.

This is still a largely amateur hobby and, I suspect, a lot of the advancement is being made by those among us who, "did not know you couldn't do that" or "did not know that this is the way you should do that."

I would encourage you to ask your questions and to respond with "what works for you" to those who are also asking. You may have the answer and not know it, or, even if you don't, you may inspire someone else to solve the problem.

As Bob said,

The secret is: There are no secrets!!!!! Just hard work, determination and effort, coupled with some skill, ability and years and years of the secret ingrediant: PRACTICE!

[LCorbett]

Here's my philosophy, for what it's worth.

I have no "secrets"...just things that work for me. (Sometimes they work for ONLY me, prolly 'cause I'm a bit...oh, never mind...grin). If somebody asks, I'll share. The only thing I ask in return is that if it works for you, then "pay it forward"...do somebody else a favor (this is my philospohy in ALL things, actually). If you change, adapt or improve the technique, then show ME, too.

Nearly everything I know I learned from somebody else. So share your knowledge, take what is offered from others...use it, adapt it, or discard it. That is the way that I, and nearly every other carver has learned their artform.

I make it a point to learn at LEAST one thing from each of my students. Their fresh views and "I didn't know you "couldn't" do it that way", always yields a gem of an idea. No preconceived notions leads to no "limitations". Dunno where we lose it, but teaching as helped me keep an open attitude.

So, share. Who cares what your level is...teach a teacher!

[Ashbys]

I never pass secrets ,

Mostly because I don't know any =)

If someone what to consider something a secret well , just think of all they will miss..

teaching is an art , to give information is to help to see a student acheive something is an honor to the teacher and something the teacher should be proud of.

Well said all !