Apex37
Chumono
There’s tons of similar threads to this, but I wanted to make one to highlight what bonsai has taught me and continues to teach me and take time to really thank the people here on Bonsai Nut. I don’t have many friends, maybe 2 in total, my significant other being my best friend. This community has shown me a lot of support over the past year doing this hobby and ultimately I’ve learned more here than any book or club meeting I’ve been to so far. So thank you guys for being an awesome, supportive community. Seriously. To some of us it really means a lot. Okay, done with the soppy shit.
Firstly, above all else, bonsai has taught me patience. Now this may seem like a no brainer. Written out about a 1000 times as what “bonsai taught them”, but one thing I’ve come to realize is this extends beyond just the bench. Everything in life takes time to build (savings, building your perfect home, perfecting cooking, learning a new skill, etc.). I think in today’s culture of instant gratification a lot of us, especially the younger folk, myself included, forget these things. I know for myself I’m already very critical of myself and so when I make a mistake it feels like it’s 10 fold worse. I did the research. I took the time to learn. Spent hours pouring over forums, reading books, listening to the experienced give advice and mistakes are still being made. Why? Well, no matter how much you plan lots of mistakes will be made, but are they really mistakes if you learn and grow from them? I like to call them learning experiences. When I first started this hobby I really had no idea the concept of time as much as I’ve learned through bonsai. But ultimately, I’ve come to respect it and know that with each season new challenges will arise and it just takes that extra bit of patience to overcome them. I’m nowhere near an expert in this, mind you, but keeping that mentality really has helped me grow in life.
Secondly, that you will learn as much, if not more, by doing as much as reading. This has been something I’ve learned more recently. Everyone’s experience is different. Different growing conditions. Different soils. Different watering needs. Different pest issues. Different experiences with different species based on climate. The list can go on and on. Ultimately, you have to kill a few trees to learn what does and doesn’t work. AND THAT’S OKAY. I feel like a lot of us are too hard on ourselves, but really we only need to be that way if we keep making the same mistake over and over. That’s called insanity.
Lastly, give yourself the best possible growing situation to allow yourself to succeed. This isn’t an easy hobby, at least not in my mind. You can’t control nature and ultimately nature will do what it wants. All you can do is work with it. One of my favorite quotes from the last bonsai book I read was by bonsai master Masakuni Kawasumi II which was, “You must not raise bonsai indulgently, but must take to them with some severity.” I think there’s a lot to be learned in this one sentence. Everything in nature is balance and you will never create fine bonsai if you don’t understand this concept. Balance in design, fertilization, watering, pruning, etc. Everything requires balance lest it tip.
I hope one day to eventually get to the point where I can be out here giving out advice from my experiences with these trees. At the end of the day, everyone’s journey is different. All we can hope to do is be the best we can be in a world that is seeming to get worse and worse. Nothing but love!
- Caleb
Firstly, above all else, bonsai has taught me patience. Now this may seem like a no brainer. Written out about a 1000 times as what “bonsai taught them”, but one thing I’ve come to realize is this extends beyond just the bench. Everything in life takes time to build (savings, building your perfect home, perfecting cooking, learning a new skill, etc.). I think in today’s culture of instant gratification a lot of us, especially the younger folk, myself included, forget these things. I know for myself I’m already very critical of myself and so when I make a mistake it feels like it’s 10 fold worse. I did the research. I took the time to learn. Spent hours pouring over forums, reading books, listening to the experienced give advice and mistakes are still being made. Why? Well, no matter how much you plan lots of mistakes will be made, but are they really mistakes if you learn and grow from them? I like to call them learning experiences. When I first started this hobby I really had no idea the concept of time as much as I’ve learned through bonsai. But ultimately, I’ve come to respect it and know that with each season new challenges will arise and it just takes that extra bit of patience to overcome them. I’m nowhere near an expert in this, mind you, but keeping that mentality really has helped me grow in life.
Secondly, that you will learn as much, if not more, by doing as much as reading. This has been something I’ve learned more recently. Everyone’s experience is different. Different growing conditions. Different soils. Different watering needs. Different pest issues. Different experiences with different species based on climate. The list can go on and on. Ultimately, you have to kill a few trees to learn what does and doesn’t work. AND THAT’S OKAY. I feel like a lot of us are too hard on ourselves, but really we only need to be that way if we keep making the same mistake over and over. That’s called insanity.
Lastly, give yourself the best possible growing situation to allow yourself to succeed. This isn’t an easy hobby, at least not in my mind. You can’t control nature and ultimately nature will do what it wants. All you can do is work with it. One of my favorite quotes from the last bonsai book I read was by bonsai master Masakuni Kawasumi II which was, “You must not raise bonsai indulgently, but must take to them with some severity.” I think there’s a lot to be learned in this one sentence. Everything in nature is balance and you will never create fine bonsai if you don’t understand this concept. Balance in design, fertilization, watering, pruning, etc. Everything requires balance lest it tip.
I hope one day to eventually get to the point where I can be out here giving out advice from my experiences with these trees. At the end of the day, everyone’s journey is different. All we can hope to do is be the best we can be in a world that is seeming to get worse and worse. Nothing but love!
- Caleb
