I am believer in guidance from above and in creator from inside which is supported and corrected to go the right way when we are open to see, think and listen and at the same time going after our heart desire and standing firm behind that.
Like runners on marathon we can't see from start to finish whole and right path and decisions we have to make to conquer desired, that's why life gives us a "slap" some times.
In my life this slap is usually something that reminds me to slow down and give a body time to rest. Beside that I was called to traditional handcrafting way of carving utensils which is the most time and effort demanding way (but brings the most value to other people and is the most friendly to our nature), I love gardening and I take care for half hectare of land, growing some vegetables, fruits and nuts, reproducing fruit trees and in last two years I share land with few egg layer hens and a rooster. Great and necessary addition for fertility of soil.
I got quite big inguinal hernia and trigger finger. Is there anything worse for craftsman?!
I was barely able to walk, till I got hernia belt in January (if you have same problem I really recommend that belt, it is game changer, till you get to surgery). Again I was able to move pretty much normally, carving spoons, do pruning of trees and preparing for spring. I got date for surgery, 28.2.. Before that I knew I have to do as much as I can because after that you are unable to do pretty much anything and that is time when we already begin preparing garden for next season, it's also time to plant trees, do grafting of trees and it is first year that I have greenhouse in which the most work is in that time with seeding,...
Also I had to prepare food stock for chickens so that my spouse won't have to deal with that to and so on.
And if that wasn't enough I had some issues with car that I had to solve before surgery. Everything went fine, I also planted apricot tree and grape vine, prepared beds with stakes for beans, planted onions, pea, carrots in bed and cabbage, kale, salad in trays. Great! In all that time I also had to care very much to stay healthy because without that there won't be any surgery. Health was usually my priority in life, but you never know when something can catch you.
Than that day came, everything was prepared at home, I was on morning walk and I got call that my surgeon got sick and that today's surgery is canceled. Oh no. Luckily same day they called me again and gave me option for surgery on 3.3., different doctor, and of course I was happy to accept that, next possible option was in May and I really wouldn't want to wait till then.
So again, that day came, everything went fine and I was at home the same day. If you had that experience you know that after that you are barely able to walk to the toilet and unable to do anything else than rest, think, read and watch TV. Those are moments when you see how important is to be healthy and agile. For person who is used to work and be in action from morning till evening this is quite hard state.
But that gave me time to think about my life, way of living, working, values and valuing my work.
Let me explain why my creations in past were funny cheep.
Although some friends, who knew what I'm making, way and quality level of my products, were saying years ago that I don't value/price my spoons/work high enough I needed years and experiences to recognize that.
When you start doing/creating something out of pleasure and goal isn't amount of money you want, it's much harder to put right value to your work. On the other side, when I looked on the market for comparison I didn't found anyone that has the same way of creating wooden cutlery as me, traditional handcrafted and hand sanded, this means in creative process no power tools are used.
Mainly spoon carvers are carving and finishing spoons with knife, knife finished creations without any sanding and marks of knife are seen on spoons. But majority of spoons on market are handmade, done by machines or with use of power tools, bandsaw, beltsander... by that goal is how to get as fast and as easy as possible till finished product.
One that I was and still admire from the beginning of my path as a wood crafter is company, family who creates and has beautifully presented, photographed wooden spoons and kitchen ware is Old World Kitchen by Polder's Old World Market and I was admiring their prices to and ability to sell every they make with such prices. Their way of creating is to make a lot with hand tools but they use power tools to, which is by the definition handcarving.
Now after years of experiences I also understand that if you want to live of your craft you have to have proper prices, based on amount of time and effort is in creation process and everything around that product which comes so you can see beautiful pictures, product is packed, shipped, fees and taxes...
So finally I revalued my work, adjust prices to the level of quality and set up things that I'm able to live out of amount I'm able to create in a certain time. Although my creations are objects of useful art and in art world price can be unexplainable I would like to be reachable for everyone. Although prices don't determine so much our decisions about buying something or not, as priority does and everyone has its own.
About differences in ways of creating something, which determines price also a lot, if it is handmade, handcarved and handcrafted but I will explain that in another blog.
If you are with me, following on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter you've heard me saying,
Made to be the best!
and believe me, it's not just saying.
Enjoy the day!
Gregor
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