leather carving by Jim Linnell

Any craftsperson worth their salt will tell you that humility is an important quality to cultivate. You must embrace mistakes and know that you do not know everything. The elusive knowledge you seek cannot be found in a particular book or in purchasing the right tool. It comes with time and devotion and solid days of making mistake after mistake, cursing loudly in the studio.

This year I joined the Austin Leather Guild and just spent the last two weekends hanging out with folks twice my age talking and learning about leather work. "Sorry, guys, can't go swimming at the Lake. I'll be at a leather carving workshop that day." Hearing the words come out of my mouth nonchalantly is both strange and totally awesome. It is eye-opening and scary-in-a-good-way to know there is so much I don't know, but will learn. I feel extremely grateful to have found a guild that I can bring my questions and enthusiasm, and I have those in spades.