How often have you seen something on Pinterest or Google images only to completely botch it at home or watched a YouTube video only to feel like a noob when you try it for yourself? Well, I feel your pain and thought it might be helpful to share some ideas that may make the next crash landing a little softer or help you avoid it all together.
Sparking an Interest
I remember attending a metalworking demonstration and seeing a blacksmith shaping a simple fire poker. The poker’s hooked end was orange/yellow and the first hammer blow fused the hooked portion to the shaft. Sparks flew and the man dipped the completed project into the quench bucket. In moments he had turned a simple piece of square bar into an intricate poker. I was instantly interested but little did I know, there was a ton to learn before I would be turning out my own pokers.
When something looks really cool and also looks easy to do, that should be a red flag.
There are three easy categories for interests:
- Looks Easy Because It Is
- Looks Easy, But There’s a Catch
- Looks Easy, But Surprise…It’s Hard!
Looks Easy, Because It Is – Not a terrible place to get started but there are a few important pitfalls to this category. For one, if it’s easy, then there is probably a lot of people doing it and therefore it will likely get old fast. This happens for two main reasons:
First, whatever is being made, gets overproduced and it no longer has any novelty. It sweeps the nation and, less then a year after, you find the equipment on craigslist at a quarter of the cost.
Second, since the skills involved with making x is so easy, you master it quickly and your interest starts to fall sharply. I think we all have a couple of these. You may still use it occasionally but lets face it, if you aren’t learning and pushing the limits of your ability, the challenge and mystic is lost.
I just made this category sound like it was for suckers but in fact, this is a great place to start and it can serve as a launch pad. The only problems can come from the initial investment, where someone might pay big $ for the equipment and no longer use it. No use = waste, stress and opportunity cost. So again, a good place to start but don’t go whole hog without making a few educated guesstimates.
Looks Easy, But There’s a Catch – A great skill category but one that trips up a lot of unwary people. I’ll use pottery and fly fishing for this example although the same could be applied to many other skill areas.
Pottery looks so relaxing and tranquil but there is nothing more frustrating then firing something and finding cracks or a glaze that turned out different than expected.
Similarly, fly fishing looks so effortless. Long casts that fall lightly on the water without so much as a ripple. Not only that but the places you fish are beautiful; so serene and peaceful. Well tell that to the guy or gal tangled for the tenth time and ready to break their rod over their knee. The catch in this case is the cast and casting takes great skill and fineness. Worse yet, most people stumble into casting without instruction from pros or friends so they pick up bad habits that later become difficult to break.
So does this mean you need to stay away from this category? Absolutely not, both pottery and fly fishing are wonderful interests that you can enjoy throughout your life and even pass on to your children and children’s children. The big take away from this category is you just need to get a better understanding of what you’re getting into and have a plan for how to acquire the skills you need to be successful. For instance, maybe you take a class or hire an instructor. Sometimes you can find people who will do discounts for multiple people and you can invite friends. Don’t shy away, just be aware.
Looks Easy, But Surprise…It’s Hard! – By far, my favorite category and one that catches many off guard. Metalwork falls cleanly into this area so I’ll use it as an example. In the opening, I mentioned that the blacksmith making the poker used just a handful of hammer strokes and bingo, we have a poker. In fact, the blacksmith was more then happy to replay each step in slow motion, just in case you didn’t get it the first time.
However, what you can’t see is the utter skill/invested time and it’s not something you can watch long enough and get. In this case, you have to do it, screw it up a hundred times and refine the subtle muscle control of the swing, the temperature, the fire, the angle, etc., before you have it.
I was always so surprised by how giving the blacksmiths were with teaching and that should have been the giant red flag because I’m sure they knew how much effort was involved with learning. In fact, one of my favorite blacksmiths would wear a t-shirt that read, “hard work builds character,” and he couldn’t have been more right.
Avoid this category? No, this is one of the best, but make sure you experience it first before you jump in. Much like the others, take a class and try it on. It might get you more revved up or it might save you a lot of money and frustration.
Take Away…
So you see something neat, maybe its a cheese ball that looks like turkey or a ten year old windsurfing and you think, I can see myself making that/getting into that. Best to ask as many questions as you can, read up online and most importunately try it. Think about what I’ve mentioned above and then make your call.
Looks Hard – Last but not least, what if it looks hard? I can’t not mention this category because it covers a vast array of skills. This one can go either way and depends a lot on your self confidence and the amount of adventure you’re up for. There is a continuum of risk adversity that will keep people from trying things. Not a bad thing but something to think about.
However, once you start to master something and look on to other interests, you may find your threshold pushing wider. What at one time you would have considered way above your capability might later seem a possibility.
As with the other options, don’t avoid it just because it looks hard or complex or what have you. Do some research, ask some questions and get a better understanding. There are always baby steps and once you get started you may wonder why you ever hesitated.
Honest Iron 