bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Serious About Bonsai, Or Are You?

I try hard to introduce thought provoking threads. Sometimes I try hard to post threads that I know have no ending. This is disscusion, and sometimes disscusion has no ending. If the same things are talked about over a period of time, brick walls seem to vanish and points of view begin to align to the center.

What astounds me, is that for the most part people wish to remain on the fringe. I don't understand that. While I know that I have aspirations that are not felt by everyone, I would think that we could all admit that we want to create the best tree possible, with artistic merits that one would find beautiful.

Working in your backyard is fine.
Not showing your trees is fine.
Not driving to go to a workshop is fine.
Enjoying bonsai is fine.

The point of the thread is to introduce that being satisfied with craft is not what bonsai is all about. I have no problem with those that disagree with my way of thinking. I even recieved a PM that was afraid that I might take a post as a flame. I don't think there is any flaming that goes on here. Bonsai people are passionate about what they do and feel. I think that is alot of the reason why those sort of people are drawn to bonsai. It is an art that is easily started, with minimal tools, not a lot of expeirance is needed to produce some exceptable results, and it gives us an outlet to our creative impulses.

I just feel that Bonsai is about being creative, and taking a "backyard" approach to bonsai is not the way to increase ones technical skill at becoming better at the art. If you wish to improve, then you are more serious than you think. That is the "I smell a rat" part that I brought up in the beginning. I may be wrong, but I think everyone is here beacuse they want to do better bonsai, and see this as an outlet to more knowledge.

If you crave knowledge,
If you want to learn more,
If you would like to show your trees but don't have the confidence yet',
If you think that you are doing artistic bonsai,
then just say so, and don't hide behind the, " I just do it for myself and don't really care what others think", syndrome.

Food for thought, Bonsai-al

28-Dec-2002	#25
bonsaial1 Greybeard Join Date: Aug-2001 Location: Fresno, CA Country: USA USDA Zone: 9 AHS Heat Zone: 13SH Posts: 5,247	I try hard to introduce thought provoking threads. Sometimes I try hard to post threads that I know have no ending. This is disscusion, and sometimes disscusion has no ending. If the same things are talked about over a period of time, brick walls seem to vanish and points of view begin to align to the center. What astounds me, is that for the most part people wish to remain on the fringe. I don't understand that. While I know that I have aspirations that are not felt by everyone, I would think that we could all admit that we want to create the best tree possible, with artistic merits that one would find beautiful. Working in your backyard is fine. Not showing your trees is fine. Not driving to go to a workshop is fine. Enjoying bonsai is fine. The point of the thread is to introduce that being satisfied with craft is not what bonsai is all about. I have no problem with those that disagree with my way of thinking. I even recieved a PM that was afraid that I might take a post as a flame. I don't think there is any flaming that goes on here. Bonsai people are passionate about what they do and feel. I think that is alot of the reason why those sort of people are drawn to bonsai. It is an art that is easily started, with minimal tools, not a lot of expeirance is needed to produce some exceptable results, and it gives us an outlet to our creative impulses. I just feel that Bonsai is about being creative, and taking a "backyard" approach to bonsai is not the way to increase ones technical skill at becoming better at the art. If you wish to improve, then you are more serious than you think. That is the "I smell a rat" part that I brought up in the beginning. I may be wrong, but I think everyone is here beacuse they want to do better bonsai, and see this as an outlet to more knowledge. If you crave knowledge, If you want to learn more, If you would like to show your trees but don't have the confidence yet', If you think that you are doing artistic bonsai, then just say so, and don't hide behind the, " I just do it for myself and don't really care what others think", syndrome. Food for thought, Bonsai-al __________________ Real men don't wear coats with "happi" in the title.