Arch wrote:
Excellent work doesn't arise 'de nouveau'.
Fine turnings result from hard work and attention to detail. At least I
think that's true. Question: where is it written that to advance, we
must always do the best we can? Answer: Everywhere.

Almost every instructional demo, article or posting admonishes us to
turn at our max and strive for even higher, no exceptions. It appears
that anything less is anathema and the attitude of a flawed woodturner.

Reasonably good but less than best may be unacceptable, even for
production work, but this isn't about turning 50 fine bannisters or a
superior one-off object. It's about sloppy turning, happy and
unfettered. Is it wrong to just have fun with no need to eternally reach
for unattainable perfection?

Forget art vs craft, grind vs hone, peel vs punch, and all that;
carefree vs compulsive is the debate du jour. If there are no rules, no
always, no nevers and no turning police, am I a heretic for not trying
for my best at the lathe every time?

Is this a fault of one carefree underachiever or are there other
part-time slobs out there? If so, can the compulsive overachievers ever
understand us? Moreover, who cares?

I often approach the lathe with no goal in mind, I just want to turn
something and make shavings because it's fun, and I get a thrill out of
just using tools in general.
I feel it's very important to enjoy the process itself, rather than just
a means to an end. Then you tend to get better at it, naturally.
Zen and the art of woodturning, maybe?

Ken Grunke
http://www.token.crwoodturner.com/

----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----