Among Friends

[qualitygal]

Watching JTV and there's a lady making leather jewelry. I think it's interesting. The lady before this one, did macrame knotting in making jewelry. This is just so cool. Even if I don't do this, it's fun to watch.

I like watching things like this, where talented people make things. Craftsmen. We visit places like this on vacation where people make things like pottery, hand crafts let's say.

I'm so not talented, but certainly fascinated!

Do any of you work with your hands to create things, do you search these things out when they occur in parks, or by the lake, etc.?  I love it. 

[BExplorer]

I am like you @qualitygal in that I am not talented in these things, but am interested and do love to search them out.  I particularly like to purchase things like that on vacations.  😊

[house_cat]

@qualitygal

I, too, am fascinated by anyone who is an expert at their craft. There are several shows of this nature on Create TV, if you have access to the channel.

I cook, bake, write, crochet and sew, decorate, restore furniture - I am never without a project of some sort. I can't imagine my life without creative pursuits and I feel sorry for those, like my husband and one of my sons, who have no creative urges.

[qualitygal]

@house_cat, Thanks, I'll need to see if we get that!

[house_cat]

@qualitygal

It's one of the PBS stations and rather hard to find.  On my cable network it's channel 1271 - not sure how I ever found it in the first place, but it's my favorite channel.

[qualitygal]

I use to ages ago, watch Carol DuVall. I think that's how it was spelled. It was a craft show. She's a MI lady so I don't know how far out her show signal went.  She was great. I miss craft shows.

In ND there was a woman who did  Tole painting.

No more "Mighty Brush" guy, the man passed who did it after him.  Bob Ross.

Then there was the painting lady, whose name I never can remember. She's fantastic. I so miss crafty people on shows. (Donna Dewberry, looked it up).

[YorkieonmyPillow]

There used to be decoupage shows. I think there are probably still quilting shows.

[hckynut]

To many, working with the hands is more than just a hobby. Look around, not on a tv channel, but in your outside the home movement on a regular day. You can see lots of people using their hands to support themselves and a family.

Have said here, ad nauseum to many here, that in my opinion, way too many see a college degree as the only access to success. You hear "save for my children's college/higher education/average umpteen thousands less $$$ without a degree" and on it goes.

What do we have now? Over a trillion $$ owed the taxpayers for college debt/many with degrees can't seem to find a job that "meets their education level(me work for that salary)"? On a regular basis I see, and know personally, jobs open with no takers. Why? Read my above "(  )".

Mike Rowe "Dirty Jobs" says there are well over 5, 000,000 skilled jobs right now that cannot be filled. Well paying jobs, most over 6 figures a year. Again why? Because not enough bodies qualify for them, many of these jobs are considered essential. A degree in hand with no known real world skill equals what?

When will I hear "pushing or saving for my children's trade school or encouraging them to work on skills the parents can see every day? I am not expecting this in my lifetime and that to me is a shame.

Somehow, somewhere and someway, this "gotta get a higher education ie: college degree" became the montra. I worked for years on the same job with co-workers nthat had college degree or degrees.  One fellow used to tell me regularly how much more educated he was than myself. My response was always the same, " and here you are working next to me/same hourly pay and same benefits as this dummy".

Hobby my petuti, too many have skills as a hobby, or can choose to earn a living or supplement their pensions and/or SS,  that is what I did for most of the years after I retired. On occasion, I still make $$$ when I am healthy enough and want to make a few bucks. 

This thread really interested me and I decided to take it beyond the "hobby" stage. Far too many could benefit themselves and others by realizing the skills they know, or did not think that they have, and find out differently.

Hey @qualitygal, thank you for starting this very interesting thread.

=^..^=

hckynut(john)

[sandraskates]

Too right @hckynut!

There is a summer art and wine event I've gone to for 15 years.

It was nice to see some artisan vendors return year after year; they did very well.

From one couple, I bought their twisted wire jewely and embellished utensils from every time. Then, a couple years ago the guy said "this is our last time here; we're retiring."

I was crushed. Now, if someone could take up where they left off I'm sure they could make a decent, even quite comfortable living.