Best advice I (n)ever got

[Brigitte Martin]

Ok, so I guess the title really speaks for itself but here we go regardless:

What was the best advice someone in your field ever gave to you when you were new and young ? What advice SHOULD someone have given you early on ("if only they had told me that one before...") and finally: What advice could you give now to someone in your field who is starting out fresh ?

This is going to be interesting and I will start with my own "good advice" here to break the ice: My advice to anyone starting to work in the metal field would be: Everything will take much longer than you think it will. Allow yourself some extra time to repair possible mishaps. Now that's a double advice wrapped into one. What a good deal you are getting from me.

So let's hear what you have to say.

[Maggie Bergman]

Work as part of a daily routine, it's your job! A very enjoyable one usually but still a job.
Keeping a visual journal is probably the mainstay of all my work. When you feel flat and un-inspired, you can refer back to the times when the ideas came easily. Get them on paper and they are there when you want them.

[Angela Baduel-Crispin]

"Just do it!" Very cliché, but very efficient, and removes all excuses. The other was when someone asked me if I "imagined things and spent a lot of time using my head", when I answered "yes!" all happy and proud, her answer was to "STOP ! Just stop making things in your head and start materializing them otherwise the "sink" will be full to overflow and the faucet (inspiration, source, or whatever) will get turned off. You can't add more of something if there's no space, if things go nowhere. Start getting them out !". That was a real wake-up call, since I'm a wonderful day-dreamer and tend to make things completely in my head first. At the time ideals would stay mostly in my head for fear of mistakes. So that's where the "just do it" fits in perfectly.

[Thea Clark]

Great topic. Where to start? Early advice that helped me as I first started down the wholesale road was, (after some mishap), "Make another one". And in retrospect, make time for the business side.

[JOE R APODACA]

Always be learning new techiques because the more you learn the greater the creative resources and the more depth your work will have.

[2Roses]

The best advice I ever got was when I was ten years old. "Art is a business, kid, wise up", the old guy said. "Follow your gut and don't listen to all the people who tell ya 'you can't do that'. They don't know s***." He was a crusty old guy. And he had good advice.

[christine bossler]

Hi Brigitte,

My advice would be to learn to start documenting your work along the way. It will be less painful and less expensive for you in the future.

Also, many things in life including metals you will just need to look up or experiment with.

Make mistakes, lots of mistakes along the way then figure out what went wrong.

Look at me go, I could do this all night, but I think I need to get back to work.

Thanks for the invite you crafthaus!
Christine