|
BIB rookie member
Join Date: May-2004
Location: Bay Area, Ca
Country: US
Posts: 475
|
How much trust do we put in someones opinion? It's all about one thing on the internet....post count. Simple as that. Are you gonna listen to someone who has 4 posts or someone who has 1,398? And do we do bonsai for ourselves or others approval? Most would want to hear something nice about their own tree or trees, sure, we all want some kind of approval on some level. It's like walking a thin line.
I remember when I first posted on another site about a tree I had done a short workshop session 1 on 1 with Johnny Uchida. He had turned the 1st branch into the apex, and I was amazed, and wondered why I hadn't seen that. So I posted it, and someone (no, I won't mention his name) who is rather high up in the "American" bonsai heirarchy, posted basically that that was all fine and good, but come back when you have something more impressive than a stick in a pot. I was crushed. Deflated. I try to remember that when I post now, to be constructive. So we DO care what others say about our trees. Whether or not we seek advice on what to do, or whether we just post for informative squibbling, a kind word or constructive comment is always welcome. Personally, I've thickened up ALOT since that day, and you can tear me a new one on my trees, and I'll listen to what you have to say-I'll listen and explain why I did what I did, or maybe rethink what I'll do the next time.
So I believe we do bonsai for ourselves in the beginning...ever see how excited someone is when they post that first juniper that they've rendered almost dead? How proud of the curves and wiring? Sure, they'll learn more as they go along, but they did it for themselves. And they want you to see. As we go along, we start asking more questions, forming opinions, OTHERS opinions, and then we search for the status quo opinion. Inevitably, we start to absorb those opinions into our trees, and thats when you wake up with cold sweat on your brow in the middle of the night screaming "IT'S JUST LIKE AL'S!!!" (just messin with you Al). But we do absorb. Like it or not, we absorb info into our subconcious. And can we control our subconcious? Nope.
This has to be the longest post I've ever rendered, but I feel the internet has ALOT to do with the way we learn bonsai today. And it all comes down to what I read about what Kimura said at the convention recently, and that was basically, and I'm paraphrasing, we spend too much time talking about our trees instead of working on them. Work with a teacher, the best you can find. Then find another. I was kicking myself recently, when I found out Boon has Saturday workshops. Guess who's gonna be going to some very soon. And it's fine to post trees you worked on, PLEASE, opinionate me more, people. I love the info. But also, allow yourself the teacher opinion.
And get together, have study groups. Look at the trees first hand. Wonder what you can do with others, just like we do here at BonsaiTalk. I had a blast when everyone brought trees over at the BBQ. Seeing trees first hand is second to none, that's why I go to shows. Nothing beats a tree well manicured, healthy, and poised. It talks to you. It says here I am. And you know what? You remember that tree. And it helps form an opinion of what you think bonsai is. And yes, you do it for yourself, just like in the beginning, but you do it better, and you do it with more opinions floating around in your head.
Scott
|