Is It just me?????

[buffalo chip]

Re: Is It just me?????

Just to add to the mix, I purposely don't finish carvings often. I get several to the same point and finish them all as a group. Usually it is down to the fine touch up, or the stain etc. I actually do better finishing all of them at once when I have the material out. I agree with Arthur, but I also find I actually do more carvings by "bunching some aspects together".

Reed

[Wolfdog]

Re: Is It just me?????

Wow, you really have opened my mind! It is neat to see that I am not alone in this. Can't always say what I mean but ,this is a great site with a lot of helpful fellow carvers.
Thank all of you and I hope I can return the help someday.

[Robert Cahill]

Re: Is It just me?????

I like Arthur's answer also. My big problem is I hate to paint and put that off. I need to learn to paint as soon as I finish a project. I just posted a bunch of pictures of things I did the last few months because I had just spent two days painting.

[pallin]

Re: Is It just me?????

When faced with a long, complex task I found it helpful to break it into sub-tasks, and taking satisfaction from completing each sub-task. That said, I have several unfinished carving projects. They are all projects that require creative energy to keep going. I guess I ran out of creative energy.

[Brian T]

Re: Is It just me?????

Wolfdog, you are some kind of slacker. Only 5? I've got a list of NINE. Much to my amazement, I have recently finished 2 of those, with all the parts, there are actually 13 pieces to do. Body, wings, tail & beak for a bird = is that one or five? That's 4 birds for a project, 20 parts to finish.

I get stalled for several reasons. the concept for the appearance of that part of the carving is very foggy. Hard to go ahead until that clears up. Commonly, I just don't know how to tackle the technical aspect of doing the carving. I get too excited about too many ideas and just get the hots to make a start. I despise finishing = the carving part is wonderful but then when that's done, I'm done. Sometimes, to drag that thing the last mile is a chore.
And you know what? I don't care. I work on whatever strikes my fancy. I look at the pile of WIPs and pick something.

[Wolfdog]

Re: Is It just me?????

Love it, now I do know what to do, quite slacking and do what you feel like doing and a good book seems to help. Thanks

[gtech]

Re: Is It just me?????

No, I have the same problem...

First, I am a procrastinator...

Second, when I have a new idea for a carving, I have to start carving it while I am inspired. So it means that some other carvings won't get finished.

I also have to feel inspired to work on a carving, so sometimes I don't feel like working on some unfinished carvings.

In the end, it's not really a problem because I do it for my own pleasure. And I don't take contracts.

Gilles

[GregGerard]

Re: Is It just me?????

I can't finish anythi

[cgm]

Re: Is It just me?????

Arthur has a good answer.
Do what makes you happy.
For me the hardest part of carving is getting started and finishing.
Once I start I have lots of fun.
Carl

[cgm]

Re: Is It just me?????

Gilles, Lets start a procrastinator list next month!
Im one also
Carl

[Wolfdog]

Re: Is It just me?????

Well, I think I will have to be on it to.
This is a geat site isn't it?

[Dan S]

Re: Is It just me?????

I have the awnser! All of you who do this same problem can try this as I'm sure it will work. Quickly, brefore any of you have time to think about it, send me a dollar for every project you have started but not finished. Do the same thing every week till you get 'er done! All proceeds will be used to explore new carving tools...
I hope you all appreciate this sacrifice

Dan

[rickm]

Re: Is It just me?????

i usually have three or more going why? short attention span mainly but sometimes I put a piece away and wait for the artistic enlightenment to tell me where to go, sometimes I feel like doing detail work and sometimes I feel like doing rough out work or at least non detail work. sometimes i am happy running the bandsaw making blanks or experimenting with different wood.its all good.eventually sometimes it all come together and i end up with a finished project. sometimes i toss it halfway thru if its not going where i want. different stokes i guess

[gtech]

Re: Is It just me?????

Gilles, Lets start a procrastinator list next month!
Im one also
Carl

I always wanted to start one, but never found the time to do it. Next month? Ok...

Btw, I have a friend who can't spend more than 3 hours on a carving, because they are normally finished in 3 hours, unless he has problems... So by the time I carve one carving from a book, he already carved all the carvings from the same book. That's depressing...

Here is the proof... Here is what he did while I carved one...




Gilles

[gverhagen]

Re: Is It just me?????

Hi, my name is Gerry and I´m new here.

I also am in deep trouble with this carving thing. Got myself laid of from my job in Luxembourg before Christmas came back home to Berlin to enjoy some time with my family after 5 years working on projects all over Europe. Decided I wanted to get back to my old sailing hobby and build my self a boat in the garage. But first i needed to build a model of the boat to test it out. Went in the garage dusted of my chisels and knives (am a carpenter by trade) and for fun decided to carve a face in birch that was laying around in the Garage........two months later a) built a huge shaving horse b) took the seat off my harley for my shaving horse c) my garage is knee deep in wood chips and sawdust is on everything d) I am sneeking around in the woods with my dog in the middle of the night looking for just the right piece of wood for my next carving (it is frowned on to take wood out of the forest in Germany) e) the addition to my garage for my boat project is not finished yet f) cant sleep because the next carving project floats around in my head g) my wife keeps checking out the garage because she thinks I got a girlfriend or something worse in there h) I cant stop at 1:00 am because it just feels so good to do just one more little detail before I go to bed.
Please help me.....!!

Gerry