Interesting musing (*wink*, Arch), charlie.

I think there are a couple of forces at work here. First, it is fun
to do something you are good at and doesn't tax you to much when you
are doing it. If I have had a rough week, I am not much inclined to
go do something in the shop that will tear me up. I will go in and
make some Christmas oil lamps that are a little challenging, but not
difficult. I think there is a comfort level to turning something you
know, and it is easy to like turning something you get a lot of
positive attention for making.

Second, it seesm that the nationally known turners of today have a
style or some form that is closely associated with them. Take a look
at a couple of threads that were posted here a year ago when some were
debating if form turned by someone was similar in design to an artist;
the question was asked, "do I need to give that person credit?"

That is a subject that has been bandied about quite a bit, and
especially since simple woodturners have decided that they are artists
in their own right. They may have not been discovered yet, but hey...

This singular form turning seems to be exacerbated by the
encouragement doled out by any middle school art class: "find your
own voice". So I guess that lidded boxes are the voice some seek.

When I started out to be a "carpenter", my boss never considered me to
be a "carpenter" until I could do everything with wood on the job that
needed to be done. We started by setting the forms for concrete, and
ended up with crown molding. In that tradition I have endeavored to
learn all I can (when I am interested and can make the time) about
something.

Like you, my interests fly all over (currently studying competition
bbq) and I have turned anything that looked interesting. Bowls, pens,
treen ware, Christmas ornaments, jewelry, oil lamps, you name it. I
have a tendency to turn things for a while and then get bored with the
product. If I have another shape or skill to "get a handle on" I can
and will turn for hours and hours, days and days.

If I don't, the lathe will be quiet until I find something else.

I do have my favorite tools, though. And I find a way to use them on
just about everything, maybe just because I like to use them.

Robert