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Omono
Howdy fellow nuts,
I don't log on too much anymore, just using the sight now as a progression log for the trees I have left. I started doing bonsai in 2017 and like a lot of people I went for the full on deep dive. In the last 8 years I have developed and killed many a tree, joined and became president of my local club, passed that club off to more capable hands who actually got it to 503c status, started and failed at a bonsai selling business, killed more trees, and finally have settled into a sort of bonsai seclusion where I'm not looking any further than my own back yard for inspiration or enjoyment. Bonsai limbo, so to speak. I still have a back yard full of trees and I work on them the bare minimum I can to keep them somewhat in the form of bonsai.
One thing that starting the bonsai sales business taught me, besides that I'm not cut out to be a nurseryman, was that I didn't want to go back to punching clocks. I realized there was a lot that I could just live without if the price for that lifestyle is never again having to explain myself to some jackass in a suit. My time slowly came away from bonsai and began to focus on growing a business with my wife. She has always taught music as her main source of income and while I was out of the rat race in 2020 I began to start taking over some of the more business and admin side of things with her students. This led us to actually being able to contract some other musicians to teach and we began running our school full tilt out of our home. At one point I had over 100 students coming through the house being taught by 3 teachers, my wife, and myself. Over the last couple years we have worked to build this business and turn it into something profitable. Just this year, we have managed to secure a commercial location, hang our shingle so to speak, and teach out of an honest to god studio. Its been a long road to this point and its nowhere near being done. The next several months will be the crucible as we work to grow our student base even more. Its both terrifying and exciting.
Which leads me back to bonsai. This isn't an easy hobby to do on the cheap, and I've struggled this year to even afford the chemicals and ferts I need to keep my stuff healthy. Much less wire, pots, new trees, etc. Bonsai limbo. Budget bonsai. I'm excited though. I've been so tapped out of the hobby that all of my trees need extensive work to get brought back into shape. I realize that its been so long since I've been on any kind of schedule or calendar that I've forgotten my routines. I've had a blast kind of going back at it with a beginner's mind and reading about peoples' Fall routines. Going back and reading through some of my old beginners books and basic videos and whatnot. I find with my music that I've never regretted going back and spending a good portion of time on fundamentals and it feeds so well into anything else I am working on at the time. I'm getting things ready for some more work and attention next year, starting with many desperately needed repots. As usual, I'll post the pics here and hopefully we will see real progress!
Thanks for reading the rambling!
CWA
I don't log on too much anymore, just using the sight now as a progression log for the trees I have left. I started doing bonsai in 2017 and like a lot of people I went for the full on deep dive. In the last 8 years I have developed and killed many a tree, joined and became president of my local club, passed that club off to more capable hands who actually got it to 503c status, started and failed at a bonsai selling business, killed more trees, and finally have settled into a sort of bonsai seclusion where I'm not looking any further than my own back yard for inspiration or enjoyment. Bonsai limbo, so to speak. I still have a back yard full of trees and I work on them the bare minimum I can to keep them somewhat in the form of bonsai.
One thing that starting the bonsai sales business taught me, besides that I'm not cut out to be a nurseryman, was that I didn't want to go back to punching clocks. I realized there was a lot that I could just live without if the price for that lifestyle is never again having to explain myself to some jackass in a suit. My time slowly came away from bonsai and began to focus on growing a business with my wife. She has always taught music as her main source of income and while I was out of the rat race in 2020 I began to start taking over some of the more business and admin side of things with her students. This led us to actually being able to contract some other musicians to teach and we began running our school full tilt out of our home. At one point I had over 100 students coming through the house being taught by 3 teachers, my wife, and myself. Over the last couple years we have worked to build this business and turn it into something profitable. Just this year, we have managed to secure a commercial location, hang our shingle so to speak, and teach out of an honest to god studio. Its been a long road to this point and its nowhere near being done. The next several months will be the crucible as we work to grow our student base even more. Its both terrifying and exciting.
Which leads me back to bonsai. This isn't an easy hobby to do on the cheap, and I've struggled this year to even afford the chemicals and ferts I need to keep my stuff healthy. Much less wire, pots, new trees, etc. Bonsai limbo. Budget bonsai. I'm excited though. I've been so tapped out of the hobby that all of my trees need extensive work to get brought back into shape. I realize that its been so long since I've been on any kind of schedule or calendar that I've forgotten my routines. I've had a blast kind of going back at it with a beginner's mind and reading about peoples' Fall routines. Going back and reading through some of my old beginners books and basic videos and whatnot. I find with my music that I've never regretted going back and spending a good portion of time on fundamentals and it feeds so well into anything else I am working on at the time. I'm getting things ready for some more work and attention next year, starting with many desperately needed repots. As usual, I'll post the pics here and hopefully we will see real progress!
Thanks for reading the rambling!
CWA
