Following your progress

[TwinOaks]

At the Montgomery, Al, Tandy store yesterday, I ran into a surprise. I'd stopped in for a very expensive lunch break and spoke with a 'loaned' employee. She was from the Atlanta store, and a novice at leather work. After picking up what I wanted, and a brief chat, I had to go. The conversation continued all the way out the door, until I offered to show her some of my work. I happened to have the scrap o' leather I carved for the March figure carving (lioness) in my work truck. I showed her the piece and she raved about the quality of the carving. Personally, I think it's 'good', but then again, I've always been a little too self critical. I astounded her by offering to give her the carving. The parking lot has a new pot hole from the impact of her jaw. She was flabergasted, saying it should be framed or something, and that she couldn't accept it because of it's (perceived) value. So, I didn't push it, even though I knew she liked it. Perhaps she was afraid of being obligated somehow. I don't know.

So...to the root of this thread: At what point have you, my fellow members, accepted the quality of your work, and stopped doubting and second guessing yourselves? When did you accept that you created art, not just practice pieces on scraps of leather?

[anne newkold]

My best guess is when some stranger sees something you have made and wants to buy it and is serious about it.

[HorsehairBraider]

First time I was asked to put one of my sculptures in a gallery, I said "I can't; it looks stupid." The gallery owner told me, "You don't know what is stupid and neither do I."

Well, she was right. Within one week someone had bought that sculpture, took it home and displayed it with great pride and joy.

You are not in charge of the universe, so it is not up to you to make decisions for other people. If they like, they like it. Don't question them or think they are "wrong". How would you like it if someone dictated to *you* what your favorite color should be?

Do your work honestly and as well as you can, at that time. Yes, you will get better. When I die (whenever that will be) I will have made the best thing I ever did in my life right before that. That does not let me off doing honest work in the meantime.

[wildrose]

I have had pieces I absolutely adored come with me from fair to fair and not sell for years. Then there were others I thought were awful, that sold right off. The old saying is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all. Plus, as the artist, you know every flaw that is in the piece. That is the hard part to get past.

About 10 yrs ago, when my best friend and fellow leather artisan invited me to share a booth at a Renaissance Festival, that was when I felt perhaps my work was good enough - that is, if it was good enough to sell, and for people to BUY, there must be something to it!

[abn]

When I first started out in leatherwork, I received lots of compliments on my projects. Most of the kind words were from regular folks who were amazed that someone could take a shoulder of veg-tan leather and turn it into a wallet or a key fob. I was always very appreciative, but was more interested in the feedback of fellow leatherworkers, like the members of this forum. I felt like my peers were in a better position to provide unbiased feedback. When I started receiving positive comments from folks here that I respect as artisans, that's when I started feeling more confident.

But ultimately, your work has to satisfy you as the artist. When you reach the point where you're satisfied with the knowledge you have, and the materials and techniques you use, then you'll know you've come into your own as a craftsperson.

[sheathmaker]

When a substantial number of people have purchased your work and many are repeat customers you might then begin to think you are getting good. When your peers and people in the craft you admire starting complimenting your work, you might then also think you are getting good. When people you have never heard of start calling you on the phone and ordering your work because they have either seen examples or heard about it word of mouth, you might then think you are getting good. when your work begins to attract international attention, then you might think you are getting good..........................................But when you are convinced you are good, then you need to check out that fellow or gal down the road who is REALLY good and set you goals a little higher.

I always want the very last piece I do (whatever it is) to be the very best piece I've ever done in my life and I move toward that goal with each and every project.

[Luke Hatley]

Paul i know what you are saying, after spending a lot of time on a project i like to

move onto THE NEXT ONE I HOPE IT WILL BE BETTER THAN THE ONES BEFORE IT.....

[bruce johnson]

Interesting topic, and fodder for a lot of philososphy. Someone sent me a cutting horse tape with Buster Welch eons ago, and he had a quote in there about improvement he attributed to one of the master painters. Something like "It is that slight dissatisfaction with your last masterpiece that drives you on to paint the next one". Twenty five years later, still sticks with me. That is something that seems pretty applicable here.

I have had a few blasts from the past. Several years ago, Jeremiah Watt sponsored a mini saddle fender carving contest. I entered, along with about 99 guys better than me. What I didn't know is that ALL of the entries are still on display right at the top of the stairs in Don King's museum. Three years ago we were in there, and I about fell over walking up the stairs. Someone had looked through the pile and left mine on top. There it was, and my name hadn't faded. Buster was kinda wrong, it is a great dissatisfaction that makes you improve more. When I was there last fall I looked at it again, it still is no better. It is now a milemarker of where I was then. Last week I was getting pictures together for a website. Some of those oldies are better left alone. [Aside lesson here too. Take pictures of everything. I didn't, and pictures of some of what I considered pretty good at the time and still would, never got took.]

I can look at the tooling work of guys like Don King, Chester Hape or Lloyd Davis. I can look at guys still cranking out different and maybe in some cases even better stuff like Don Butler, Billy Maloy, Chas Weldon. I saw a fender last year that old Bill Rogers had just carved - very cool. I have had classes with Al Gould, Jesse Smith, Pete Gorrell, and Andy Stevens. Look at this group - Troy, Keith, Jim, Greg, Andy, Steve, Ryan, (any omissions are not intended). We have a pretty wolfy bunch here. I probably couldn't slick edges for any of them. In a nutshell, I look at a lot of work, and I am not satisfied with my own yet. I don't beat myself up over it, I just try to find three things and improve them on the next one.

[ramrod]

yes, this is an interesting thread. i have not reached the point where i can say "oh, yeah, this one is the best i've ever done"...... "i can't top this one" and so on.

every belt i complete, or the biker chaps that i'm about to finish, i always seem to say " probably this one is gonna be nice" or "i like this and this about this piece, but it's only o.k." - yet someone is giving me a lot of money to make it for them. so they must really like something about what i've just made.

all of this has brought me to this dilemna: i end up GIVING almost all of my stuff away beacuse i'm not totally convinced that anyone would buy it. in fact, i gave my brother a belt about a month ago. (i really owed him for some favors so i kind of made it up by giving him this belt that he really liked.) anyway my point: when he went back home, he started showing it around. one guy HAD to have one like it. my brother said "hey! for 60 bucks he'll make one for you" i got an order for a belt.

here's the irony: had i been there when this guy looked at my brother's belt, i would have probably said "charles, i'll make one for you" and probably never even mention price to him. it took SOMEONE ELSE to make a sale for me because they thought my stuff was worth selling.

i gotta get over being my own worst critic. it's crippling me.

i'll take your advice, bruce.......pictures, pictures, pictures. i've got to start taking more.

Edited April 21, 2011 by ramrod

[azrider]

Great topic. I still don't think I am very good. I have the first wallet I made for myself in 2005 hanging over my work bench. It looks like something a kid did at summer camp. Compared to that, my newest wallets are pretty nice. I still have quite a bit of the first stuff I made that I use regularly. Its funny because the stuff I make now is nicer, but I still see flaws in it.

What I have noticed is that I have started getting referrals, and last year I had an independent Leathercraft store call me to see if I would put some of my items on consignment. It doesn't seem like people are just humoring me any more when they tell me they like what I am making. I don't think I will ever be happy with what I make, but I am comfortable calling myself an leather craftsman now, instead of someone who sometimes does leather work.

[whinewine]

We had a woman at an event come up & ask us to try to sell her husband another flask- he had purchased his from us several years before & she felt it was so worn that he should have another. Later she brought him around to our booth & he showed us his original flask, and yes, it was well used. But he really liked (loved??) that flask & wouldn't part with it, even when we offered a new one at a reduced price. That's when you know you're OK, when someone really likes one of your creations & won't part with it for any reasonable price...