Dealing With Discouragement

[capnmeow]

dealing with discouragement : so how do you, as a leather worker, deal with discouragement in either not being able to get a technique, the response and feed back from others or art websites, or just biting off more then you can chew.

My experience so far is mostly frustration and futile efforts leading to wasted hours and a hint of guilty to were im ready to just "close shop" and sell my tools which would catch me a good chunk of change.

Edited June 6, 2012 by capnmeow

[DoubleC]

Capnmeow, right now I'm cutting out a snake for an overlay I'm going to do. Unfortunately it looks more like triangles connected by a snake head. Cutting, no matter what the tool, I can't do well. I know that. But I'm not really getting frustrated because I know I can hide some of my errors with the ostrich overlay, and others with sewing. I also know I'm not going to do another snake overlay or inlay. This is my first guitar strap and I know it's not going to be perfect no matter how hard I try. But I'm going to learn a lot on this one and I'm going to do the very best job I can. I'm never going to be good at cutting, just better than I am now. I think frustration can be caused by a lot of things, doing hard things when you're tired, and expecting too much out of yourself. The important decision I think you have to make is whether you are still enjoying your work on leather. If I didn't still love it and look forward to it, I would quit. Other wise, frustration is just part of life and you take it along with the ooooohs you get when someone sees your work locally. IMHO Cheryl

[Mike516]

@ capnmeow - how long have you been at it?

[Bob Blea]

Capnmeow,

I have often been discouraged lately, not just with leather but with lots of things. Some of it is just a product of the times we are in now. If I am tired or have been at it for a long time I can get to feeling this way and it usually means it is time for a break. Usually sleep and some other activities so I can return to what I'm working on a little refreshed. Whatever you do, take you time deciding. Leather, like anything in your life, can seem very frustrating when you are focused on nothing but it. When you take a step back and get some perspective it doesn't seem quite so big a problem.

Hope this helps,

Bob

[capnmeow]

about a year almost

[Sylvia]

I hear this kind of thing a lot when it comes to playing guitar. Especially, when young ones want to play as well and as fast as their idol in 3 days and feel frustrated and discouraged when they can barely make their fingers fret the proper notes/chords. Usually what the answer they hear is.... "Slow the heck down and learn to practice accurately.... then speed will come."

I find that leatherwork teaches patience. It takes a huge amount of time and practice, along with a measure of artistic ability to get to the level of the pros. I can tell you that like anything worth while, it takes practice. Lots and lots of practice. Our leather idols didn't learn this over night and probably not in a year either. They had mentors to guide them, and took the Time to learn and practice their craft.

Like Cheryl says... we have a tendency to tackle things beyond our current abilities. Perhaps it's time for you to slow down and choose practice projects just beyond your current ability. That is to say... if you can turn out an awesome belt... choose something slightly more challenging. All too often (and I've done it too) people jump right into the deep end and try to do the most difficult project when in reality they are just learning. Then frustration sets in because they didn't meet their own expectations, due to a lack of ability. Then, if they don't quit, 5 years later they attempt the same project with some trepidation and find it turns out great. The difference in this case is the years of practice they've gained.

[Northmount]

You are just getting started!

Like others have already mentioned, take a step back and do something else you enjoy. Get out and do a few things with family and or friends. Change of scenery is almost as good as a rest. If you are a perfectionist, you need to back off and not be so hard on yourself.

Depression and discouragement are linked pretty close together. Steps you can take to reduce depression are to get enough exercise. Going for a half hour walk each day gets some of those brain chemicals we need working. Get up in good time each day. Go to bed before you are worn out and exhausted. There is an old saying, early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. There is a lot of truth in it.

For your leather work ... Is there someone near your location that can be a mentor? Books, video, forums, etc. are all good sources of help, but watching someone work and working with them can be a bigger help. Take a class or two if you are in an area where they are available. Another option is to get a friend interested in leather work so you can work together and share ideas and help each other.

If critiques are hard to take (which is true for many people), don't ask for critique. I have heard the comment from various counsellors and advisors that there is no such thing as constructive criticism. We do need to learn what we need to do to improve, but be careful with how you ask and who you ask for critiques. I come from a family of perfectionists. So know how it can affect a person. A simple example is how we take something a child has done and show them what they should have done. After a few times, the child won't show off their work, become depressed, and may even quit trying. If you have problems in this area, go get some counseling from church or other counsellors you trust.

It is good to talk about your problems, but don't focus on them. If you have trouble talking about your problems, you need to find a person you can trust to talk to. Someone that recognizes they mostly need to be a listening ear, and that they can't fix you. You make your own changes when you decide to.

I hope there is something in my rambling that you can use and are able to go onward and upward.

Now go for a walk.

CTG

[Luke Hatley]

Why not post photos of you latest work and lets see what the problem is...if there is one.

[capnmeow]

well really my biggest problem is time i use to have the time to be slow and work at was doing but i dont have that much time as i use to between having to work out for my job, taking care of siblings, and just being flat out tired i just find it so hard to get to leather working and then im starting to realize that doing armor leather would be expensive and thats why i started working with leather but never realized it would be so expensive, for a hobby at least.

[DoubleC]

Oh, well money is a big frustration, I can understand that, as can a lot of folk. Time, another. I get mad if I'm working on something and have to leave for an appt. or something so it must be very hard with your siblings around. I will get to the end of a project and find I only have 2 Chicago screws and need three, or brown thread and need black, little things but expensive when added up and frustrating when you want to finish. I think we'd still like to see what you've done, I think Luke had a good suggestion.

[capnmeow]

here is a small kio fish and a small patch of a marvel superhero

[DoubleC]

OK I can see you need to work some on your painting, but overall I think they are excellent. And the perspective you got on Spidey is great, really pops to me. So really your frustration is more with time and the expense?

There are a lot of small things you could make and try to sell, your patches for instance that would give you more money for supplies. Time I can't really help with Capn. You'll have to figure that one out, sorry. Cheryl

[capnmeow]

well another thing is im pretty much voice acting alot that is where my time is really being sucked into .... and selling my tools could land me a bit of cash to were i could have a bit of a better audio

[DoubleC]

Then you just need to decide where you want to spend your time, and what you like to do best. Just because you like something better than leather doesn't make you some kind of failure. I couldn't list the things I've tried and lost interest in before this, would take all n ight at my age :-) Cheryl

[Northmount]

Remember that family is very important. If other things have to take a back seat for some period of time, so be it.

You do need to focus on something. Spreading yourself too thin on too many things doesn't work. You won't be good at any of them, where otherwise you could be really great at 1 or 2 things.

Good luck with whatever field you decide to choose as your main focus.

CTG

[jmkjmk2]

The more I look ahead instead of looking to the past, the more hope and encouragement I have. Best wishes my friend. Keep working.

[Mudruck]

dealing with discouragement : so how do you, as a leather worker, deal with discouragement in either not being able to get a technique, the response and feed back from others or art websites, or just biting off more then you can chew.

My experience so far is mostly frustration and futile efforts leading to wasted hours and a hint of guilty to were im ready to just "close shop" and sell my tools which would catch me a good chunk of change.

Heh, yea, been there... doing a quote, taking the job and getting started to find out that you bit off way more then you thought it was going to be. TO me that is just part of the learning process. When I did up my first tank/fender bib set and found out that the tooling the customer wanted was going to take me about twice what I had thought it was going to from the start... ouch! Now I know that I should add in a little extra time and be much more careful about how I quote a job when detailed tooling is involved.

Now as for technique... isnt that what the scrap bin is for? Almost every piece of 'scrap' that I have is covered in swivel knife cuts, test stamps and other stuff that I wanted to practice.

[countrywoman]

I absolutely agree with @northmount.

I should like also to say a few words: "Success comes from within." This is not my wisdom, but it is my own experience.

Edited June 14, 2012 by countrywoman

[Stewart]

Capnmeow,

In the 70's. $5. am hour was going nowhere. I received a set of tools and tried leather.Master at first swivel cut-- NO.

Buying leather out of question. So i sit aside the tools,found a company just starting out and put total effort in growing my

career as the company grew to 5 branches. Keys to everyone of them. when retired picked up the tools and started

messing with leather again. Frustrations yes. Going past ability is frustrating and seeing the work shown here is double frustrating.

As in any Art, you have to have a tad of talent and a lot of practice to get quality work. You can raw it out-It will be a

long hair pulling road and I believe looking at it as an 8 hr job. I do have a mentor and a family friend. Luke Hatley.

These times are different,Jobs harder to get and company's loyalty does not match workers loyalty any more.

You can sell your tools to better your earnings and buy them when you income is comfortable or retired or you can save them

and work with them if you unfortunately have a working break.

As for the fustration goes. redo untill you feel good with it . If it doesn't get better.try a different project in leather

till you hit on something falls into place.I showed Luke a coaster pattern i wanted to do. 3 times no good. Set it aside

untill my abilty devolipes to where i can work on it again.

Joe

Edited June 14, 2012 by Stewart

[capnmeow]

well guys thanks for all the support i am going to do maybe one or 2 more projects then give this a rest

[DoubleBarP]

well guys thanks for all the support i am going to do maybe one or 2 more projects then give this a rest

I read a quote somewhere once about those who work with their hands. I believe it was St.Francis of Assissi who said:

"He who works with his hands is a laborer.

He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.

He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist".

While I don't pretend to know what your items are although Ido think I recognize Spidy :-)… You seem to fit the definition of artist based on the above definitions… That same definition applies to lots of folks here. Even more so because they all seem to share knowledge and constructive criticism very unselfishly, so those of us who want to get better may do so. Any time someone starts to learn a new skill set that involves artistic / craftsmanship it usually involves an apprenticeship of some sort. I've learned a lot here from those folks that want to help… Bottom line, do something that makes you feel good inside and that you can be proud of as an accomplishment..

Good luck in whatever direction you choose to go..

DBP

Edited June 16, 2012 by DoubleBarP

[Martello]

Hey man, just be cool and keep at it. Whatever you feel like you might be weaker on or want to get better at, go buy some scrap and just do that all day. Just hammer the technique until it's second nature.

There are things out there you'll be fantastic at right out of the gate and other things you're going to need a lot of work on and help with but eventually you'll be looking ta your work trying to figure out how you had such a hard time with it in the first place and offering help for people who have the same issue in the future.

Just keep at it and eventually you'll be flying through it.

To answer your question more directly - I have a heavy bag (which I highly recommend). Whenever something gets be frustrated or discouraged I tee off on it for half an hour and that gets out off of my frustrations enough to where I can go right back to what I was doing.

Give it a shot.

[electrathon]

.... and selling my tools could land me a bit of cash to were i could have a bit of a better audio

Coming from a tool guy here. Never sell your tools. They are the path to what you do. Once you go backwards on the path it is really hard to recover. I am assuming you own them. If you owe money on them, totally differant. Never go into debt, the path is even worse in the wrong direction.

[bluesman1951]

Lets talk about expensive ,that's retaliative to what your finished product sells for . There is a man here doing some fine motorcycle seats that most likely sell way up in the hundreds . For him tooling leather at 8.00 or 9.00 dollars a foot is maybe not a big deal . In the end its a balance between what you pay and what you get . Then there is the customer you are trying to appeal to .Things that work well and are good looking and useful in every day life are what I would try to make .Things for people with more money than time , brief cases and gadget cases for attorneys .Simple things like luggage tags ,and portfolios for professional people . learning seems to come in stages like martial arts you cant skip all the mundane stuff and just go the cool stuff that the master does . Dont work that way . Helps to have a mentor . I wish you good luck with this .

well really my biggest problem is time i use to have the time to be slow and work at was doing but i dont have that much time as i use to between having to work out for my job, taking care of siblings, and just being flat out tired i just find it so hard to get to leather working and then im starting to realize that doing armor leather would be expensive and thats why i started working with leather but never realized it would be so expensive, for a hobby at least.