anotheranon | you must choose

rm's posting of a stark reminder that no one will ever be able to read EVERYTHING, ever is a refreshing but harsh reminder that if I plan to get anything long-term done, I need to start picking and choosing.

I'm chronically indecisive because selecting one thing inevitably locks out another due to limited time/brain space. I still kid myself that if I flit from one short-term project to another I'll get to everything but it's simply not the case and also hinders going in depth on anything.

Case in point: sewing and costume research. I dutifully finish one project or book before starting another but the long narrative eludes me. I could possibly make some really interesting discoveries/experiments WRT Fortuny gown construction but it's hard to resist the allure of Regency, cool Japanese-style French patterns, etc.

I manage to acknowledge that my fencing due to the endless improvement is a long-term project of sorts, and after much fighting the inevitable I've resigned myself to only being able to grok one weapon system at a time. It's not one that lends itself to long-term goals - it seems that the standard measures of accomplishment like medals and ratings will be due to luck or a simple good day and can't happen on a timetable.

No real solutions here, just musing aloud that if I ever want to "make my mark" with anything I'm going to have to exclude some related but equally tempting possibilities. I'm not even sure why I want to make a mark of any kind. Maybe it's that I'm closing in on 40, maybe it's that I'd like prove to myself that I can adopt a course of study and see it through to an obvious end.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Your problem is a common one -- no single course of focus. Everything is so shiny!

Mine is the opposite -- I'm really, really good at just a few things in life, so its easy for me to specialize. I enjoy it, though -- finding a single subject and becoming an expert on it.

Yes, everything IS so shiny! And while I finally got it through my thick skull that in order pursue any of my shinies I have to deliberately set aside time (instead of rely on time presenting itself - shyeah, right) and I do enjoy my little projects, I can't help but suspect I'm missing some crunchy facet by not going narrow and deep.

I'm glad that you have enjoyed specializing. Any tips to share for selecting wisely, or keeping the momentum going?

Make a list of all the things you like to do. (I know you -- it'll be a long list!)

Then narrow the list by being very objective about what you're good at. Not what you *like*, but what you're good at doing.

Nota Bene: Sometimes what we find to be easy/adept at isn't always what we're good at. I have a lot of things that I find to be easy, but that doesn't mean the end result is of any great magnificence. On the other hand, I have a few things I find to be easy, and the end result is very amazing. I also can do things that I find to be very difficult, but I've overcome my own weaknesses or inhibitions through practice and am now good at these things.

Example:

A. Things I find to be easy, but the end result isn't amazing (mostly because a lot of people can do it) -- cooking, learning languages, home repair.

B. Things I think are easy, but others think are hard -- writing, teaching, sculpture/painting/beading, adapting to change, mental discipline. (Ergo why I have chosen writing/teaching as a career.)

C. Things I have learned how to do well, but only through a lot of practice -- sports, salesmanship, practicing compassion.

A isn't much of a challenge, so I can rise to the occasion but only when necessary. B is a talent, so I can do it and keep polishing the talent, but I don't struggle all that much with it compared to others. C is something I'd like to do better, but it will always be a challenge.

Make a list like this, and focus on what you can improve -- but what is also a challenge. For me, it would be the C-list. I would like to learn a sport, and to do it well, but most of the time I feel like a total dork when I'm doing anything physical. It would be a real challenge for me.

I like your list, and thank you for posting it. I could stand to do this exercise if only to combat my "impostor syndrome" that tells me my accomplishments don't really amount to much :P

I like that you distinguish between things that come naturally and things that can be done well only after lots of work. I'm discovering that the concept of "talent" has been detrimental to me, causing me to assume that unless I understand something immediately, I have no innate ability and had best give up. The truth is that I've never been a quick study and even my "talent" in drawing can be traced to a lucky cognitive break that would have gone nowhere if I'd not practiced.

Thanks for the tip! I hope others use this too :)

Oh, how I relate to that article ... I see tons of fascinating books each day and know I'll be lucky to read a small fraction of them. But I've learned that at least being aware of the existence and gist of titles that are considered "important" can often be just as valuable as having read them ... after all, many are notable because of an idea or philosophy they express and knowing what those does count as knowing the book. Mind you, that's cataloguer mindset ... the best cataloguers have an acquaintance with, rather than a deep knowledge of, as many subjects as possible.

I also hear you about there not being enough hours in a lifetime to do everything. But trying out (and, of necessity, sometimes juggling) a multitude of short-term things doesn't necessarily negate long-term accomplishment. Sampling is important for getting a feel for whether you want to get deeply into something or if you'll be happy with just seeing how it works and then moving on. And, since there's really no such thing as a stand-alone activity ... everything intersects with something else to some degree ... it's that sampling that gives you the ability to think out of the box and find new approaches to your chosen core activities. That's how most people end up making their mark ... having a wide-ranging experience that lets them come up with the new way/method/technique/etc.

Oh, how I relate to that article ... I see tons of fascinating books each day and know I'll be lucky to read a small fraction of them.

I've almost stopped reading Tor books blog or your CatDesk or any other book recommendations.... almost, because I wanna wanna wanna read them all! When will we get Matrix-style direct upload, so if I don't have time to read it I can at least HAVE the knowledge?

As far as my sewing goes, everything DOES intersect, and despite my lamentation there are some long-running commonalities: cut and construction fascinate me most, more than, say, embellishment and dyeing.

Related: I think my compulsive book buying may feed some kind of latent hunter/collector urge, but that's another post.

You might want to peek at the most recent

catdesk because I listed a very nice book on Victorian tailoring techniques (including patterns) that I think you'd find very useful for both your historical and steampunk costuming interests.

The intersections for your sewing go even further than cut and construction ... when you made your doublet you included some consideration of your movements during fencing so that you could wear it during that sport. I'm also more into the engineering of clothing rather than pretty trimmings myself, mainly as a means to physical comfort which means being aware of my anatomy and how I like to move; also one of the main reasons I'm so into the current knitting revival ... like you, I'm fascinated by the hows and whys of the construction as much as with the reward of having unique things to wear.

Book buying is very sensible, IMO (though constant exposure means I've become very selective), even if there's no time to read everything cover to cover ... books are a means of paying others to do some of life's sampling for you and bind their experience up in a handy cover so you can look up what you want/need to know rather than having to conduct all your own experiments from scratch. ;-)

Ok, a tailoring book I can justify. Tailoring = construction.

You make excellent points that comfort is part of the motive, as it should be - why go to that much effort to make something that has the imperfect fit of something off the peg?

However, I also have sculptural and sensual motives. I want to discover what fabric is best for what project, and see what I can make it do - that's why I love things like Vionnet's bias cut, because it takes something woven and wrings as much stretch and cling out of it as possible :)

Also, there's the simple joy of handling good quality fabric - it feels nice between the fingers :)

Books = sampling someone else's experience - yes :) I view it as avoiding having to reinvent the wheel!

Oh yes, I know your love of cut and construction goes far beyond the practical ... just wanted to point out that your sewing does extend tendrils into your other activities and vice-versa. :-)

Samurai Women?! Damn you! :P

Ooopsie! Honest, I forgot about that one. But it's part of the Osprey military history series ... those each average about 80-90 pages max with quite a few illustrations/maps, so it'll be a quickie read (the Osprey books are well-researched, but very concise in format).

you must choose

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Addendum: latest Catdesk post

Re: Addendum: latest Catdesk post