Competing Activity/Talents

[Tom-H]

From the various postings of the members of this board it is obvious that many have multiple Talents (or at least are involved in multiple activities that result in something being created). I make cupboards/stepbacks, doll furniture, Noahs Arks, Quilts, and try to carve. This is a lot of competition for time. I love it, but need more time. When I carve, this is what I really want to do. But that is also true of making a piece of furniture or a quilt. Are others afflected by the same problem? What are some of these other creative outlets that you have? Tom H

[Donna_T]

Re: Competing Activity/Talents

Good observation, Tom,
I suspect that many of us are driven (nuts) by having to chose what we're going to do next...carve or what.

I like to do needlework (but the eyes are not as good as they used to be), quilting, gourding, gardening, antiquing (on a eclectic basis), and dabble in trying out new techniques from time to time.

And then there's grandkids. I usually will drop everything to do something with them, even if it's to take them shopping all day. Now that's quality time well spent. I can always carve when they're grown and don't have time to spend with grandma!

Donna T

[Goody]

Re: Competing Activity/Talents

I am into motorcycles, riding, building, repairing, jsut anything to do with them. I find it hard to find riding time as I like to ride 150 miles or more when I go out. My carving is turning into a business as I am not able to do the heavy industrial work that wore my body out anymore. Somedays when I have been carving all day working on a bike is great change for awhile.
Goody

[Kenny_S]

Re: Competing Activity/Talents

Really do not have a problem and my other hobbies aren't considered competition for time.
If I want to carve, I carve, If I want to relas ammo, I reload, when hunting seasons come around, I hunt, tinkering with my hot rod, id do, if the little bride has honey dos, then I found other things to do and mark hers of my list,but to worry about my other hobbies, no, I really don't.
Life is to short to worry about how I use my time.
Now when I was working, yes, it was hard to find time to carve, hunt, or whatever an I hated that feeling.

[Lightningbolt]

Re: Competing Activity/Talents

To begin, I work a full-time job and even if it is teaching woodworking and woodcarving it's still WORK and that is especially true when you learn that I must document out the yazoo every detail for every kid every day.

Just trying to find the time to answer a small fraction of all the great postings on this message board is a challenge when it comes to dishing out the time! But I do the best I can.

My favorite interest's that compete for precious time would be woodcarving, woodwork, designing rustic furniture, ultralight backpacking methods, and believe it or not I spend a lot of my own personal time finding ways to improve my woodshop program at work.

[whitecree]

Re: Competing Activity/Talents

Carving, computers, forum cruising, carving research, art research, history, science fiction, grandson activities, drawing, painting, walking, working my way down the 'do it or else' list and once in a long while, I even manage to find time to just sit and think.

Who needs tv?

[Ron Davidson]

Re: Competing Activity/Talents

I think one of the things that I miss the most is building furnature and cabinets. So basically the carving is my main outlet. I can pretty much do it when I want and if I need a break I go for a hike.

[Tom-H]

Re: Competing Activity/Talents

I think I am still going to ask the kids and grand kids for a time stretcher for fathers day. The main problem that I have is I seldom spend the amount of time a one thing that is really necessary to begin to master it. Since I am kinda new to carving I need to spend nearly all the time with it, if I want to get better. But, you know what? It's still fun and nothing like work at all. Everything I try to do is that way. I don't know anything about motor cycles, but I do know that those photos show an awesome machine. Tom H

[Kenny_S]

Re: Competing Activity/Talents

Harold, My father in law still rides and he is 80, Now he rides less than he use to but at 79, he went back to Mexico for the umpteenth time and he rode to Strugis SD, last year for the umpteenth time, and he is restoreing a 1939 Indian Chief and is almost completed. well it might be now as I ahven't been over there is a couple of months.
I gave up the motorcycles years ago and has made for a happier home life.
Oh, some times I would like to own another one but have other things I would like to do also.
Tom, I understand where you are coming from but I decide long ago, It isn't worth the stree to worry about the time spent on one hobbie or the other.
If you get down to it, Personally, I would give all my hobbies up and spent more time with the Grandchildren, but now, One is in grad school and one is in preschool and the other goes to the babysitters week day.
I believe the busier you are and keeping yourself occupided makes you live longer. That is if you want to.

Good topic Tom.

[JIM QUILICI]

Re: Competing Activity/Talents

well most of my working life I was a boss, told people what to do and when, and where to work. now that I am retired I still make the decissions , what to carve and when to carve............................unless if my wife has other plans or does'nt want me to carve or if my kids or grand kids are comming over lol.
Just old Jim

[Irishman]

Re: Competing Activity/Talents

The weather here in Nova Scotia is urging me to get my kayak into the water. I hope to maintain my carving hobbie over the summer months but its going to be a challenge as I really enjoy coastal paddling. Maybe I'll pick up drift wood on the way. Of course my family and work competes with my carving as well, but I hope to keep at the carving as I would love to retire early and see carving stretched from being a hobbie to supplementing my retirement income...well we can dream can't we. Here are some pics of my other favorite past-time. You'll see one with our famous ship Hector which took a number of Scots to Pictou County years ago. You'll also see that I have a wooden paddle as I carve Greenland paddles as well.
Patrick

[Tom-H]

Re: Competing Activity/Talents

Patrick, With views like that, coastal kayaking would take up a lot of my time too. My coastal kayaking has been limited to one lesson, in Lake Erie in a long kayak. Won the lesson in a raffle. Tom H

[wade clark]

Re: Competing Activity/Talents

Irishman,
Now you're talking! We have several! I love to Kayak! If you kayak downriver, you can carve a little as you drift! I've found incredible driftwood for carving while Kayaking.
Wade

[Colin-Partridge]

Re: Competing Activity/Talents

Good topic and interesting to see what you all like to do besides carving. As for me I was stuck forever on woodspirit log carvings but thanks to the people on this message board I have diversified my carvings and now do just about everything. Chainsaw carving still facinates me and now the snow has gone I can get back to it again. It seem to me anything that is creative is up my ally. I still like to paint and have got back in touch with it this last little while. Taxidermy was also interesting trying to portray an animal or fish the way it was when it was living. I think as I get older the grandchildren are the most important thing and spending time with them is the best thing for me to do these days
Colin

[squbrigg]

Re: Competing Activity/Talents

Love your pics Patrick, thanks for sharing them. I miss kayaking, use to do a fair bit pre-accident, and really miss it now. Had planned to build my own Cedar strip for the Y2K celebration, but gave away the plans, books and wood. Better that than be tortured with the sight of it and not able to paddle it. Great sport though, lots of places to go in our neck of the woods.

Great shot of the Hector! I know Keith did a lot of the carved work on her, she looks great. Last I saw her, she had her masts up but little rigging done.

Hobbies, other than carving ship models, Celtic knots, canes, and relief .......photography, reading, genealogy, writing, and some bird watching. Use to hike, hunt some and swim.

Bob