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Sensei-in-Training (Very)
Join Date: Jun-2006
Location: Baltimore
Country: USA
Posts: 495
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Al,
While I agree with the premise (that the artist is responsible for the outcome), being very much a novice myself I feel that it's probably more apropos to encourage the novice and provide constructive criticism than to tell them that their work is garbage and that they have no vision. In fact, there are a number of factors that can contribute to a poor outcome. It could be lack of talent, lack of vision, lack of knowledge about horticultural principles, lack of knowledge about artisitic principles, lack of experience in some particular technique or with a particular species, etc., etc., etc. "Lack of talent" and "lack of vision" don't explain all bad outcomes. Even the greatest talent and keenest vision will be hobbled by lack of training and experience.
One of the values of club membership, I've found, is the opportunity to work closely with those who have much more knowledge and experience than I do. Fortunately, they also seem to remember that they were once where I was. They never act superior to me, never try to put me down in the subbasement of some contrived "pecking order". They see the flaws in my work, sure, and they point them out. But they do so in a manner that helps me learn and encourages me to keep trying.
Of course, the world isn't always a friendly place and I do agree (having learned from experience in other venues) that it's worth developing a bit of a thick skin where criticism is concerned. But human nature being what it is, when people criticize what you have done you are probably going to feel, somewhere down there in your gut, that they are criticizing you, even if your head knows better. That's just the way it is. So the skilled teacher (bonsai or otherwise) is no more ham-handed in critiquing the work of others than the skilled bonsai artist is ham-handed when trying to train a branch.
We try not to put more pressure on a branch than it can handle. Shouldn't we treat each other with the same care? Or is there some pecking order out there that places the tree on a higher level than the person who's trying, however inadequately, to train it? I hope not, and if there is I'm sure you don't personally subscribe to it. Even so, we can all learn to be better teachers of . . . whatever skills we might wish to teach.
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