Travis

Originally published in The Village Square - January, 2010 Quit smoking, lose 20 pounds, pay down those credit cards. These are all the commitments we make every year. Sometimes we hit the mark. Other times...well, let's not talk about those times. While we make plenty of new years resolutions about health, family, and finances, lets not neglect our hobbies. After all, our hobbies keep our mind active, relieve stress, and gets us away from the boob-tube. We need to make goals for our hobby so we can advance our skill and gain a sense of self-satisfaction. This year, try something new. If you're a portrait cutter, give intarsia a try. If you only cut other people's patterns, try learning to design your own patterns. If you only work with one species of wood, try something a bit more exotic. The things you can do with a scroll saw is endless. You'll amaze yourself at what you can accomplish if you just try. Sometimes finding time for your hobbies can be a challenge in our busy lives. Perhaps you can make a commitment to spend at least 1 or 2 hours in the shop per week. Find quick and easy projects you can complete in a sitting or two. This will give you the motivation to find some quality scroll saw time and you’ll have some great projects to show for it. Maybe finding time at the saw isn't that big of a concern. But finding room for your cuttings is becoming a challenge. Try selling some of your work at craft shows or online at places like Etsy.com. If you prefer to give them away, how about donating them to church craft bizarres fund-raising auctions, or some animal portraits to your local zoo for their store. It is quite a thrill when someone really appreciates your work. Spend time with the scrolling community. You can find a lot of inspiration, cool ideas and techniques to advance your skills. You’ll make great friends along the way. Make it a point to participate more in the forums. Or try blogging about your hobby. Or how about attending a scroll saw picnic. Staying connected to the scrolling community will motivate you to do better. You'll surprise yourself on how many friends you meet along the way. There are lots of goals you can set for yourself. They don't even have to be scroll saw related. Try furniture making, turning, or model railroading. The point is that our hobbies are important and we need to make time for them. Its what keeps us sane and out of the hair of our spouse. We all need hobbies, for everybody's sake.