[Woodcarver] Re: Success

[Paul and Diana Guraedy]

Success is intricately intertwined with pleasure and satisfaction. Success comes at various levels. Success for artists is a fleeting, un-maintainable goal. I tell everyone that I carve for my own pleasure and, at the level where I started, this was true. It still is to a certain extent. Success, at the basic level, came when I developed the ability to carve a decoy in some detail. Then I wanted to carve a bird in more realistic form. Success came with attainment of this ability. Next, I wanted to carve birds of prey and success finally followed. Then someone liked my work so much that they paid for a piece in advance (my first commission). This came with a heady level of success that brought a lot of pleasure and satisfaction. Others liked my carving enough to want a piece of my work. But, these were roughouts and blanks, other people’s designs. I wanted to do my own artistic piece. I designed an impressionistic carving of an owl. I could have sold it many times over; but, of all my
 carvings, this would be the last one I would let go. Success seemed achieved. Then came the beckoning. Could I do more complicated designs? Not just for my own pleasure; but, something others would enjoy and desire. Since, my interest is to carve only pieces I enjoy,  to carve only when I feel like it, to maintain a deadline on each piece far enough away to alleviate pressure; my pursuit of success is different than it would be if I were trying to be successful financially. But, I believe the result would be the same. Ultimately success is something always out there, constantly giving me pleasure, occasionally offering satisfaction, tantalizing me with the idea that I had achieved success; then beckoning me on to the next level. I accept this as the engine that drives me to improve my artistic ability


Paul and Diana Guraedy
pdguraedy at yahoo.com
Alpena, Arkansas
		
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