Motivation

[Roger Chandler]

Why do you turn? For experienced turners.........now that you have gotten to the point that you can be fairly accomplished at any form you attempt..........what motivates you?

- Enjoyment
- Artistic expression
- Profit
- other

This should be interesting!

[Marty Eargle]

I turn primarily as a hobby and for personal enjoyment. No one aside from my immediate family sees 95% of the work I do, and most of my works are sitting around my house somewhere. I really just enjoy hunting out the perfect chunks of wood, touching steel to wood, and seeing where it takes me. Occasionally I'll sell a piece...but never seek it out.

[Scott Hackler]

I turn 50% for enjoyment and 50% for artistic expression (mostly the same reason). I like the challenge of refining my pieces and trying to make each piece better than the last. I also really like "pushing the limits ans strive to turn things that are technically advanced. Sometimes it works, sometimes I destroy it! I haven't done the gallery thing yet and I think most of it is not taking the time to solicite some galleries. While I think some of my things would "fit in" at a gallery, I also enjoy experimentation and I know that those pieces wouldn't be gallery worthy.

The only thing close to selling something has been performing some trades with some very, very good turners. For me, that was as good as selling something as I tend to collect things I like anyway! It would sure be nice to sell something, so I could help sustain this "hobby"!

[Allan Ferguson]

I enjoy most of the time turning and the challenges that it presents. I am trying to make it pay for itself as much as possible.

[Jeff Nicol]

Turning is like anything that holds your attention and helps you relax from the normal stresses of everyday life. The thing about art of any sort the potential for profit is a bonus that goes with the hobby or pastime. Some of the lucky get to become pro golfers, hunters, fisherperson, etc as they find out they are good at their chosen hobby or passtime, but not everyone gets that rich off turning or painting daisies.

So with that being said with me pretty much everything I do is for the challenge and then when the challenge is mastered it is time for a new one, and in turning the challenges will be there for a long time as others push the boundaries of turning and tempt us to attain a new goal. But right now I am catching up on tunings and getting a bunch done to fill the shelves at the art gallery that represents me. I am now getting repeat customers and requests for special items that I had not done before and that is a good part of the selling of your work. Others will expand your horizens for you with those requests.

So start small and dream big and you will find the place that you fit best and be happy with that, or like me push a little harder to reach the next step.

Jeff

[David DeCristoforo]

You left out the most important motivators:

POWER!
WEALTH!!
FAME!!!
GLORY!!!!

And what better way to gain these than to spend your time making little round things that most people look at and scratch their heads and ask "What do you do with it?"

Forget about all that "I want to express my inner artistic self" crap. Personal satisfaction? Bah! Becoming overlord of the universe? Now there's a motivator for you.

[Rick Markham]

Becoming overlord of the universe? Now there's a motivator for you.

"It's all going according to my plan Muahahahahahahahaha!!!"

While I LOVE turning, the self expression, and all the other what not. It really is nearly a compulsion for me, I have to do it to get rid of the obsessive, pervasive turning related ideas/thoughts out of my head. The only time I stop thinking about spinning round things is when there is a spinning round thing in front of me. Indeed it is a vortex, because my mind is ALWAYS swirling.

[Sid Matheny]

Helps keep me out of trouble!

Sid

[Roger Chandler]

Helps keep me out of trouble!

Sid

Now that is a great motivation! Good for you Sid..........might be the case for more of us if we would admit it!

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

I was sick of flatwork projects that took me years. I figured I could get the satisfaction of a finished piece in an evening. That was before I started carving to embellish and experiment with dyes and leafing. I'm back where I started except my pieces aren't flat. I turn to relax but there is something in me that needs to make things that are beautiful and lasting. Now, if only I could do that.

[Gary Max]

Keeps food on the table and the lights on-----------not a easy task these days.

[John Beaver]

I am in the Artistic Expression / Satisfaction category.

I discovered turning at the same time my previous vocation (Photographer / Motion Picture Cameraman) was heading south. Surprisingly I find they both satisfy my artistic needs in similar ways. I have always tended toward endeavors that utilize both sides of the brain, and I like the combination of artistic and technical challenges in both turning and photography.

Sometimes in life you stumble upon something that just feels right, and for me that is turning. I just feel it is something I need to do, and although that has forced me to make it profitable, I do it to satisfy my artistic needs.

[Mike Peace]

I love the almost instant gratification of turning a piece. I also like the opportunities for camaraderie with other turners through shop visits, chapter meetings and hands on turning sessions. I enjoy the journey of skill development and improvement as I push into different areas related to woodturning including learning more about art, photographing woodturning, teaching and demonstrating woodturning, and writing. I have been newsletter editor for two different turning groups and am working on writing my fourth woodturning article for publication. I enjoy giving my turnings as gifts to people who marvel that someone they know actually made that beautiful object.

It is all good!

[Roger Chandler]

These are great responses so far..........I like hearing what motivates the people in this artistic endeavor..........your work inspires and your thinking about your motivations are inspirational as well..........

I hope more turners will post in this thread...........

[Ed Morgano]

DD has the right idea here! World dominance is what it's all about!!! Whoops! I meant Overlord of the Universe!