Two days, two questions

[Barrett Dorko]

#1 If I were to hand you a piece of wood to carve, what would you want to know first?*

* If you've already heard the answer from me, please give someone else a chance to get it wrong.

[smikolic]

Interesting question......

I guess the first thing I thought of was why do you want to know what I want to know?

I got excited at the prospect of carving something, and immediately started to think of the easiest thing I could carve (so I could be successful), but still keep my interest (so I could be proud of my work), a fish came to mind, a unicorn (who knows why, as I haven't collected the creatures since I was little...but maybe I'm so familiar with the design of the creature or something.....), a cat (also familiar)..........

And then I started to think of why you would ask...as if I was suppose to carve something for you to judge or to display...if that was the case, then I guess I'd want to know why I'm carving it:

If it's just for me (my initial consideration), I'd carve something just for me, or for my husband, or something useful for me to use and know that I did it (like an incense burner or something).

If it's suppose to be something, I guess I'd want to see examples so I can try to get ideas of what the thing could look like....or I'd just go with the first picture in my mind, like in ceramics class when they said to make a footed bowl, and I made a bowl with 2 big feet (didn't really know what a footed bowl was I guess....turned out great though!)

If it's going to be judged or is suppose to be something specific to fit somewhere, I'd want to know dementions, minimum requirements for qualification etc......

.....Don't know why you'd hand someone a block of wood to carve and expect them to want to know anything beyond, "where's the knife?" ...... maybe the type of wood (as if that would tell ME anything...is it soft (easier to carve) or hard wood I guess would be nice to know....but I'd figure that out as I carved it I suppose...). I can't wait to see what the "right" answer is to this....

Steph

[John W]

"What makes you think I know how, or even care, to carve anything out of wood?"

[Bas Asselbergs]

"Why?"

[Barrett Dorko]

12 hours left to answer.

I'm asking WHAT you want to know FIRST - before you make your first cut; your first effort to alter the thing in your hand. The answer has already appeared, but I would like to see it simplified and emphasized as primal to our knowledge prior to our effort to change things.

The answer should be as succinct as the question.

That's my rule, by the way.

[smikolic]

Oh Barrett.....succinct.....I love this sort of mental exercise because it is so good for me (I think), though it hasn't seemed to help me become any more succinct in my efforts to be as such.........but I'll try...Here goes,

"Primal to our knowledge in our effort to change things.."

I would want to know then, what should I carve?

Then I suppose I would attempt to make it look like my idea of what the thing should or does look like in life or wherever I have seen it or otherwise been exposed to the idea of it in my mind......hope that's better....

Steph

[Barrett Dorko]

No.

[Jono]

I would like to know if you had a chisel I could borrow.

[norton]

Any rules? Why am I carving it? What is it about the wood that wants to be changed. Micaelangelo created David by simply allowing the finished product to emerge by eliminating all the stone that wasnt part of the finished form.

[nari]

I don't recall the answer, but I would want to know/see the grain pattern and decide whether to go with the grain or against it. (sometimes it works better to go against the grain).

But it depends on the nature of the timber itself.

Nari

[JayCola]

I guess I'd ask "for who am I carving it for?" Before any effort is put into task you should formulate a clear idea in your head the reasons why you're doing something. In this case Barrett gave me a reason to carve because he asked politely. It's implied I know how to carve, or else i wouldn't have said yes. So that leaves what to carve, and that answer is dependent on who I'm carving the wood for. Wouldn't want to go start carving a dowsing rod only to later find out it it's supposed to be a present for Diane.

[smikolic]

Ok...well, upon further reflection, I thought through my questioning initially and tried to get it to fit into a word.....and it really came down to purpose.......So, from that I came up with my new answer. I think it goes along with what JayCola said above, but maybe I'm assuming.....

I would want to know what I need to carve it for....as in for what purpose am I carving the thing?

Is it a creative project just for me? Will it be used to fulfill some need in the environment? Is it simply to pass the time? Is it because you are carving something and would like the company? Is it being used to evaluate my ability to carve, or to be creative, or for a grade? Is it to evaluate my psychological make-up or will it be judged against others? I could go on, but I usually can..... :p

Why am I carving it...that would guide my hand. Alright....now I can sleep! ;)

Steph

[Barrett Dorko]

Many of these answers are correct, but they are secondary considerations and I'm only asking for that which is primary.

What kind of wood is this?

Without a knowledge of the material's properties we don't know what is possible in terms of change as we interact with it. We don't know what sort of force or tool to use. We cannot anticipate its changing in response to the circumstances surrounding it.

The human body is a remarkably complex piece of wood, and, without a clear understanding on the part of the therapist, force, permission, context and adaptation during the therapeutic interaction is haphazard at best.