When Not to Point Out Mistakes! 🌟 Why Letting Others Enjoy Your Craft is Key
                                                                                                                                                           Â
Â
Howdy !
Â
As I showed a friend some of my latest carvings, I did something I knew I shouldn't do. What, you ask??😕
Â
Well...I started to point out where I'd made a mistake(or added some character) on one of my carvings. 😖  I knew there wasn't any reason to do it, yet there I felt compelled to do so. Thankfully, my
friend stopped me and told me he didn't want me to point anything out. He was enjoying the carvings as they were and appreciating the effort that had gone into creating them.Â
Â
I don't know what drives me to point out the character in my carvings because I'm not as eager to do so in other aspects of my life. My first manager once gathered the entire team to 'reward' me for a mistake I'd made. The 'reward' was some cheap company trinket that no one ever wanted for doing a
good job, so it was his way of getting rid of it. Needless to say, it didn't encourage me to point out any future mistakes. 😆
Â
Anyway, this is a friendly reminder to suppress the urge to point out any character in your carvings, and to let others enjoy them for the treasures they are!
8 inch Flat Plate with 8 Point Rosette and Leaf Pattern
Â
This is the same pattern I carved on my Vesterheim candle plate with the addition of the 8 Point Rosette. It's a challenging pattern, but one of my favorites! I hope you'll enjoy it too!
Â
You Can Order Your Plate with the Pattern Already Applied!
Â
On the Plain Edge
Flat Plate page, select a Size of 8", and then select the Pattern8 Point Rosette and Leaf.
Chip Carving helped him to stop focusing on mistakes!
Greetings, Troy!
I rather enjoyed your newsletter yesterday, especially sharing about lessons through Chip carving. I particularly appreciated your call for community members to submit
lessons learned, so here I am.Â
This is a bit personal, yet when we are talking about expressing creativity, I suppose it always is? When I was young, my older brother and I developed an unhealthy competition for our father's approval. Of course, there were family and behavioral factors, yet a major impact on me was developing an unrealistic expectation that I had to excel at any work with my hands to be, "good enough." The pressure I put on myself, and the self-judgment and
criticism, were literally disabling, emotionally. I learned later in adulthood that I was suffering from severe C(complex)-PTSD from childhood trauma. The complex part means most of my traumas came.through relationships.
The reason it's important to me to share that background is 1) to establish the significance of Chip carving to me, and 2) to hopefully help some others recognize we have all been traumatized to some degree. So, as I was working my way through an arduous recovery
and healing journey, I just decided one day that I wanted to try chip carving as a therapeutic craft. My first project was very much a learning experience. I made a bunch of mistakes, yet after it was finished, everyone who saw it thought it was beautiful.Â
It became apparent that I was the only one who looked at it and saw the mistakes as flaws. Talk about a wake up call! Then I found My Chip Carving, and I started corresponding with Marty to ask questions. I made the plunge
and bought his Bocote knives, custom carved and finished a knife box, and have now carved at least 12 Christmas ornaments as gifts the last 4 years. My pride and joy is the Oval Box I finally carved last year.
The point is, Chip carving has provided me with more than the satisfaction of creating beautiful projects. When I carve I can really focus, and I shut down my rambling self talk. In that peaceful place I am able to hear my Inner Guidance, and I find great joy in shaping wood
without demanding unrealistic perfection. So, in a very real way, I can say that Chip carving, and MCC, actually helped me learn to live more peacefully.Â
Thank you for taking up the MCC cause. I am certain you are helping many people, in many ways, find a more fulfilling life.
Best always, Carl
Thank you for your willingness to share how chip carving has helped you Carl! Â Learning that we're often our harshest critic is a great lesson learned. I'm glad you were able to find chip carving as a way to help you through such a difficult time.Â
Â
Keep on carving!
GOOD NEWS!!
Candy Jars are Back In Stock!
Â
These 10 oz glass Candy Jars have a clear basswood lid and the plastic seal with press fit easily applies after your carving is done.
