I don't require anyone else to tell me that their method is more
correct than what I have arrived at on my own over many many ounces
of trial and error, or carats of stones that had to be repolished
or recut or just tossed into a pile of rejects You seem to have made
my point for me.
āyour vanity and narcissismā
Narcissism in one context is a clinical diagnosis by a mental health
professional, in another context it might be used as a defense,
possibly when someone is feeling helpless or out of control.
as does your invalidation of the writers of books..or the
assertion that they are somehow less than " right".I don't recall
seeing your name in any bibliographies
I had a discussion about this thread with an American who trained in
Germany, who has taught for 30 years, and has written two books, and
his opinion was that not all the in the books is accurate.
In Germany there is a process that is similar to getting a Phd. in
America. Classes, hands on experience, studying design, learning the
basics, an internship or apprenticeship, which resulting in a
knowledgeable individual that can be hired and with more experience
and training that person can go on their own and be a qualified
goldsmith.
First- dentists, and Md's are a different realm than a creative
application, and one would expect that they would indeed attend
school.
I believe this is a slight, as dentists and doctors can be creative.
Especially plastic surgeons. I have no idea why formal education
would be a disadvantage when someone is working with expensive
materials that can be damaged or ruined, especially when said items
might belong to someone else. It is just a fact that formal education
can result in a level of experience and knowledge that can enable an
individual to get employment that they could not get without
training.
People on this forum question how to get a job with a jeweler, and
they usually do not have a level of knowledge or skill that makes
them hireable. This means that the education system is not producing
people with the skills that are necessary to be successful. Who wants
to hire someone that took 30 years to self teach themselves? Does not
sound like a team player.
Learning on your own is admirable. But if you want to get somewhere
quicker, with more tools, be able to start earning more money sooner,
to know what is the right way to do things, education is the way
regardless of what the subject is.
I know that some teachers are better than others. Perhaps there would
be better teachers in the U.S. if there was a education system for
metalsmithing like they have in Europe. Result would be people who can
gain employment after training, which I believeis the result of
formal training in Europe.
I would further pose a question. Are there more hack jewelers that
are self trained or more hack jewelers that come out of formal
training. It is simple, one cannot do things right unless they know
what is right. With formal education there is a greater chance of
success faster.
Over 30 years I have seen a lot of work by self taught jewelers. I
politely ask where they learned their craft. They say proudly they
are self taught. Duh!
One sign of narcissism might be who writes the most about themselves,
what they did, and who said what about them.
āItās good to be king, if just for a whileā¦ā Tom Petty
Richard Hart