HAPPY NEW YEAR!!...Now Let's Talk!

....Well here we are!  2012 has arrived and already I feel the tingles of anticipation that it's going to be a wonderful, inspirational year, filled with an abundance of determination, motivation and loads of creativity!

   But as I reflect for a moment on the year that was - it strikes me that some folk just don't seem to want to learn - to listen or to take note of information that is being given to them "gratis"

They seem intent on finding out things for themselves - and hey - don't get me wrong - there is nothing wrong with that...but if a seasoned professional has tried what you are about to attempt to do, and no matter which way they did it - the end results were the same....why would you even bother to try and attempt the exact same thing???  

My thing is - why set yourself up for a fall??  I'd much rather attempt something that the outcome has sort of worked before but not really been pursued further...so nothing wrong with that analogy!

Go for it I say! 

But *sigh* - sometimes I wonder why we bother giving advice to people -ie the "newbies" on the block - when it is crystal clear they either think they know better - they are determined to prove you wrong - or they are just plain thick!

Oh!...did I also mention that I'm not going to mince my words in 2012??? 

Gone are the "airy" fairy words - the treading lightly and trying not to hurt someone's feelings - again don't get me wrong!  I am not about to turn into the She-Devil from Hell, squash someone's dreams and throw the "Tact & Diplomacy" hammer out the window either....far from it! 

But if you are serious in your adventure and seriously want to know some information to pursue your jewellery making further - then hey!....let's talk!

If you ask me for my honest opinion of a piece you've made and to me it looks like crud...then I'm going to tell you it looks like crud! in the nicest possible way.....but at the same time - I will also point out where it looks like crud and what you might like to try to do to make it look less...ermm cruddy!

As anyone will tell you - when it comes to perfecting a craft whatever it may be - you need to

PRACTICE!!....

...But!!...and yes - there's always a 'but!'....you need to PRACTICE PROPERLY!

There is no point following instruction of a technique if it's done badly or taught incorrectly, as all you will likely do is produce pieces following the same principle...constructed following poorly taught techniques from a person who as yet has not quite mastered that skill set!

It's like a "concreter" who is shown how to mix concrete by using X parts of Sand - Y parts of water - Z parts of concrete.  Problem is - the person who showed him/her how to mix it hasn't as yet developed their skill sets properly, and all they are doing is "training" this person to produce the same
sloppy mix.   It should have been X parts of Water - Y parts of Concrete and Z parts of Sand.

Sloppy concrete mixes will not hold up buildings!...same as inadequately taught techniques will not keep a piece together.

So after discussing with some other jewellery friends some basic principles regarding teaching concepts - or should I say - the lack there of....and the amount of crudely made pieces that seems to be appearing that are poorly constructed -  we have come to the conclusion that 2012 will not be a year for mincing words and telling people what they want to hear - but what they need to know.

If people want to progress properly -  all I can say is they had better sit down, buckle up - and hang on for dear life!...because the school of "fluffy comments" is about to change gear, go screaming through a tunnel and come out the other side looking very different!!

So if you want to learn properly ...then jump on board - and as Rick Orcasik from the Cars would say...."Let's Go!"

...And always remember -

.......Smile!....it's free!