More than twenty years...etaine_pommierMarch 25 2011, 16:00:52 UTC
My mother taught me natural dyeing, but I think I did my Very Own first dyeing when I was about ten. I patterned my first garment from scratch 26 years ago. I started making historical recreations of garments in 1991, and was immersed in German renaissance by 1993. My first forays into late 14th century French/Burgundian began in 1995. There are always side trips along the way, but I keep coming back to those two things as my passion. I'm lucky that my academic field is related, and that I had (and continue to have) the support of my professors. I've made recreations for a living several times throughout my adult life, which I suppose puts me in the realm of "professional."
In the context of the SCA, most Laurels are hobbyists. But discounting the lessons of hobbyists is a mistake - there are always people who know more than I do, even about the fields I have been studying longer. They often take side paths I haven't seen or haven't considered worth the effort, and even if we don't agree, it makes me think about things differently and re-question my own conclusions.
The other thing to remember about the Laurel is this: the Crown gives it. Just because you have one, that doesn't necessarily mean you have the respect of others in your field (inside *or* outside the SCA,) or even of the council. You have to earn that, and you have to continue to earn it. Whether or not you have a Laurel is irrelevant to the respect you've earned. It shouldn't be, but sometimes it just is. There are plenty of people out there who are *very* good at what they do that don't have a Laurel, and for whatever reason, might not ever get it. We gotta do what we do because we love to do it.
In the context of the SCA, most Laurels are hobbyists. But discounting the lessons of hobbyists is a mistake - there are always people who know more than I do, even about the fields I have been studying longer. They often take side paths I haven't seen or haven't considered worth the effort, and even if we don't agree, it makes me think about things differently and re-question my own conclusions.
The other thing to remember about the Laurel is this: the Crown gives it. Just because you have one, that doesn't necessarily mean you have the respect of others in your field (inside *or* outside the SCA,) or even of the council. You have to earn that, and you have to continue to earn it. Whether or not you have a Laurel is irrelevant to the respect you've earned. It shouldn't be, but sometimes it just is. There are plenty of people out there who are *very* good at what they do that don't have a Laurel, and for whatever reason, might not ever get it. We gotta do what we do because we love to do it.
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