A couple of recent threads posted here lately have kind of planted a seed of a thought for me, so rather than post this question in a reply on one of the threads I figured I would give the question top billing.
Nancy and Belinda posted separate threads but the topics are as related as hand in glove. I also thought that the they were in essence preaching to the choir. And as I was formulating this thought I went off on a tangent and began to wonder why I thought these two threads were redundant messages for the intended audience.
So, what is it about woodworkers specifically and SMC members in general, that makes the message of personal responsibility redundant? More precisely, are there characteristics of the craft/trade/hobby that require personal responsibility as a fundamental building block? Are these conscious or subconscious considerations?
As an example, many artists believe they have to live a life of misery/poverty to create great art. Many artists, not most, also believe they need to alter their reality to discover their art. Many don't want the constraints of a 9-5 job for fear that their creativity will be exhausted. I've met my share of musicians that fit this description to a T. And I can't deny that for some these are indeed valid considerations. Unfortunately that lifestyle is adapted by many as a means to an end; to create art they must subscribe to these lifestyle choices, whereas the successful artists tend to made these choices subconsciously.
So, did we pick woodworking or did woodworking pick us? And why?