Rob Keeble
Member
- Messages
- 12,633
- Location
- GTA Ontario Canada
Well this aint something new. But I am finally beginning to accept it as a "fait accompli' in life. For my entire life i have denied its existence and fought the rule that you WILL go through a learning curve when you tackle something new.
Its been the bugbear of my life and i have tried over and over again to beat the learning curve but unless you were right up at the front of the queue when the brains were dished out, seems to me no matter what it is you Will go through the curve to acquire the know how.
I thought i would post this admission so others, woodworkers or not can ponder for a moment and decide how they going to tackle something new they want to learn and decide if they first going to have a go find they don't succeed then give up or going to accept that it requires persistent determined plodding in the direction you wish to go in.
I always equate this to kinda flying at different levels up a staircase. You go at it for a while and never seem to make progress. Then you get to the next level suddenly and a few things click into place. Then it seems forever before you conquer the next level and suddenly the repeat euphoria of getting through the clouds. and so on until you reach the level of competence that satisfies your needs.
Yeah there are times one can cheat a step in reality you just go up to that step very fast and don't notice the curve involved. Other times it seems to take forever and really can test ones determination and tenacity to stay the course. But when you do it enough you finally get used to the process.
Yeah there is nothing new here for most of us, and its not something i have suddenly discovered, but boy the delight of getting to a point where you "grasp" or understand something is sweet and when one gets to the point where one can execute that learning well that's the icing on the cake.
For most of us we have been through this in a number of facets of our life, and that helps when it comes to having the drive to tackle something new, knowing we can do anything we want if we put our minds to it like we have done in the past.
But it sure dont get easier as you get older. I was always sold on this concept that we only use a tiny portion of our brains. But now i am beginning to think they fill up and dont wish to hold more that easily.
I still think the greatest revelation i had in woodworking has been learning to sharpen and what sharp means. Sure its an old bone thats been chewed over so many times. But its key to every tool that needs to cut.
So whats been your biggest revelation and learning curve you have tackled and conquered in woodworking. Share a few it might just help keep someone thats on the fence going at it and succeeding.
My latest revelation that had me post this is not woodworking related but it took me back to woodworking, and i was thinking back to a post Toni in Spain did about hand cutting a dovetail every day for a period to get the hang of cutting dovetails properly.
If we can teach a kid this "learning curve aspect" in life I think many would be way better off. My own sons favorite words are "i know i know" when in fact he really does not and has only really followed what is being explained. At that point i hand him the tool and say ok show me. thats when the fun begins.
Whats that old saying, "you never too old to learn". What should go with this post is the aspect of not being to proud to ask a question. Still my weakness.
Its been the bugbear of my life and i have tried over and over again to beat the learning curve but unless you were right up at the front of the queue when the brains were dished out, seems to me no matter what it is you Will go through the curve to acquire the know how.
I thought i would post this admission so others, woodworkers or not can ponder for a moment and decide how they going to tackle something new they want to learn and decide if they first going to have a go find they don't succeed then give up or going to accept that it requires persistent determined plodding in the direction you wish to go in.
I always equate this to kinda flying at different levels up a staircase. You go at it for a while and never seem to make progress. Then you get to the next level suddenly and a few things click into place. Then it seems forever before you conquer the next level and suddenly the repeat euphoria of getting through the clouds. and so on until you reach the level of competence that satisfies your needs.
Yeah there are times one can cheat a step in reality you just go up to that step very fast and don't notice the curve involved. Other times it seems to take forever and really can test ones determination and tenacity to stay the course. But when you do it enough you finally get used to the process.
Yeah there is nothing new here for most of us, and its not something i have suddenly discovered, but boy the delight of getting to a point where you "grasp" or understand something is sweet and when one gets to the point where one can execute that learning well that's the icing on the cake.
For most of us we have been through this in a number of facets of our life, and that helps when it comes to having the drive to tackle something new, knowing we can do anything we want if we put our minds to it like we have done in the past.
But it sure dont get easier as you get older. I was always sold on this concept that we only use a tiny portion of our brains. But now i am beginning to think they fill up and dont wish to hold more that easily.
I still think the greatest revelation i had in woodworking has been learning to sharpen and what sharp means. Sure its an old bone thats been chewed over so many times. But its key to every tool that needs to cut.
So whats been your biggest revelation and learning curve you have tackled and conquered in woodworking. Share a few it might just help keep someone thats on the fence going at it and succeeding.
My latest revelation that had me post this is not woodworking related but it took me back to woodworking, and i was thinking back to a post Toni in Spain did about hand cutting a dovetail every day for a period to get the hang of cutting dovetails properly.
If we can teach a kid this "learning curve aspect" in life I think many would be way better off. My own sons favorite words are "i know i know" when in fact he really does not and has only really followed what is being explained. At that point i hand him the tool and say ok show me. thats when the fun begins.
Whats that old saying, "you never too old to learn". What should go with this post is the aspect of not being to proud to ask a question. Still my weakness.