[TheForge] Re: File Making, sniffing up wrought iron, wandering OT

[Peter Fels And Phoebe Palmer]

Mike Spencer wrote:
> pf> Now, 50 odd years later, you'll find me happily rooting around in
> pf> the junk pile.  Even when it's not economically justifiable, i
> pf> still will preferentially use junk iron.
> 
>    ...economics is the science of scarcity, the study of the optimal
>    allocation of scarce means...[but] there is no scarcity!
>                               -- Thomas Lunde (on FutureWork, 2002)
> 
> Lunde was speaking of digital "goods", but to the extent that what you
> need isn't scarce -- abundant scrap or abundant food more or less free
> for the picking -- you're opting out of "economically justifiable".
> Yeah, yeah, there's still the basic biological energy balance and all
> that, but if you don't treat your blacksmithing as a business
> requiring a return on investment, you're playing in a different
> sandbox from those who do.
> 
> No slur intended toward those running a business.  OTOH, neither
> should those who don't take a ROI attitude be scorned as "mere"
> hobbyists, dilettantes, dabblers or wankers.  As for "amateur", that's
> a much-abused word.  Amateurs do <whatever> because they love it and
> their failure to submit to the demands and constraints of the
> commercial or industrial markets for their works is not a mark of
> inferiority.
> 
> 
> - Mike
Hi Mike;
Yassah...it's a sandbox of my own making...
Less than economically optimum but way more fun.
I've deliberately favored creative freedom over economics ,to the 
degree that i could get away with it....(and stay married).
Fortunately, i have a like minded wife....and no children.
We live pretty low to the ground .
People actually pay us to play in the media of our choice every 
now and then. Throw in some horse trading , the odd welding job 
or student, some back door art sales, the web site and so 
on...and it's been enough to get by...so far.
Am i an amateur?..pretty much...always trying something new and 
the work shows it. I try for a different mistake every time.
  Am i a professional?...pretty much as well..metal work has 
helped feed us and pay the bills since the late 60s.
Basically, i'm here for the process.
The work is a byproduct of the process...something that's left 
over afterwards.
To be able to keep doing it, i need to convince the odd customer 
that that byproduct is something they want to own...regardless of 
my own opinion.  (Hate that part as much as i hate finishing.)
These are questions of one's means, one's obligations, one's 
abilities and one's druthers....give or take the odd shitstorm.
  I don't much care whatcha call it...as long as i can get by on 
as close to my own terms as possible. So far, not too bad....pf
>