What keeps YOU from carving?? - Tiki Carving

C Chongolio Member The Coast of Kauai Joined: Oct 02, 2002 Posts: 2765	C Chongolio Posted posted on Mon, May 1, 2006 1:00 PM O.K you asked and here it is. Sad to say I have three or four carvings that have sat idol (pun intended) for a couple of years now. Some just need a little sanding and stain. Others are still in thier log stage. As for reasons well here are a just a few.... • Ending a four year relationship last year • Moving my studio and home and all my stuff (which I have way more than I thought) over six times during the last two of years. • Trying to make a living doing what I went to school for in a town that is expensive to live in, saturated with designers and penny pinching clients with no money. • Getting involved in a new business venture and watching it fail in three months time and having to pick up the pieces after losing a lot of time and money. • Learning new skills to increase my chances of survival. • Sitting in front of a computer workin' my okole off. Which would include client based projects as well as my own (Podcasting, redesigning my website, networking and recreating my business from scratch.) • I wish I could say surfin' and other forms of art but even they taken the very backseat to work. • Days and days of cold rainy weather, feeling like crap, being broke and filled with sadness. The list could go on and on but I think y'all get the picture. Please don't get me wrong Folks, I don't want to sound like a negative Nelly and i definatly don't want pity, but it has been a pretty tough couple of years for ol Chongolio. During this time I kept trying to remind self of other TC members and people in general who have had much greater and deeper losses happen to them. But it's hard to be positive when life keeps sucker punching you in the belly. The good news is I am on the upswing. I am getting through it all and my toes are tappin' again. I have one of the greatest families a dude could ask for and have found a nice quiet place to live that is much cheaper, private and spacious than anywhere I have lived since moving to Santa Cruz county. I am now about four miles from my studio as opposed to the 20 miles I was driving before. I won some contest that involved designing a mug which was the one of the coolest things that ever happend to me. All the postive feedback from the TC Ohana really helped to lift my spirits when I was feeling pretty bummed out. Anyway, carvin', surfin' and the fun stuff are gonna be there for me once I get my plate cleared and that should be in the very near future. The sun has come out and my spirits are liftin' Thanks for lettin' me vent. Your pal, Chongolio

O.K you asked and here it is. Sad to say I have three or four carvings that have sat idol (pun intended) for a couple of years now. Some just need a little sanding and stain. Others are still in thier log stage. As for reasons well here are a just a few....

• Ending a four year relationship last year
• Moving my studio and home and all my stuff (which I have way more than I thought) over six times during the last two of years.
• Trying to make a living doing what I went to school for in a town that is expensive to live in, saturated with designers and penny pinching clients with no money.
• Getting involved in a new business venture and watching it fail in three months time and having to pick up the pieces after losing a lot of time and money.
• Learning new skills to increase my chances of survival.
• Sitting in front of a computer workin' my okole off. Which would include client based projects as well as my own (Podcasting, redesigning my website, networking and recreating my business from scratch.)
• I wish I could say surfin' and other forms of art but even they taken the very backseat to work.
• Days and days of cold rainy weather, feeling like crap, being broke and filled with sadness.

The list could go on and on but I think y'all get the picture. Please don't get me wrong Folks, I don't want to sound like a negative Nelly and i definatly don't want pity, but it has been a pretty tough couple of years for ol Chongolio. During this time I kept trying to remind self of other TC members and people in general who have had much greater and deeper losses happen to them. But it's hard to be positive when life keeps sucker punching you in the belly.
The good news is I am on the upswing. I am getting through it all and my toes are tappin' again. I have one of the greatest families a dude could ask for and have found a nice quiet place to live that is much cheaper, private and spacious than anywhere I have lived since moving to Santa Cruz county. I am now about four miles from my studio as opposed to the 20 miles I was driving before. I won some contest that involved designing a mug which was the one of the coolest things that ever happend to me. All the postive feedback from the TC Ohana really helped to lift my spirits when I was feeling pretty bummed out. Anyway, carvin', surfin' and the fun stuff are gonna be there for me once I get my plate cleared and that should be in the very near future. The sun has come out and my spirits are liftin' Thanks for lettin' me vent.
Your pal,
Chongolio

Post #229780 by Chongolio on Mon, May 1, 2006 1:00 PM