I have often said that I find carving to be therapeutic and it helps me to relax. I have been thinking a lot about this recently and have come to the conclusion that woodcarving is, for me, far more than just therapy.
I do not feel right when I don’t have a knife and a piece of wood with me. I feel sort of lost without something to do with my fingers. I carve while I am walking the dogs or anytime I sit still outside.
The things I carve are often totally unimportant and more often than not I will simply start cutting slivers off a piece of wood. This is partly to see what the grain is like under the surface and partly because I simply love the way a truly sharp knife cuts wood.
In the past I have carved some very intricate roses and some fine and delicate pieces but these have been carvings or sculpture with an objective in mind. Often the technical challenges of such a piece force the carving into the background. The end result becomes more important than the act of carving. This sort of work, while producing a satisfying end result, doesn’t always satisfy my need to carve.
From a therapeutic point of view the simplicity of the end result is probably the key to achieving the relaxed state of mind that I’m working towards.
I recently watched a YouTube video of a Japanese guy who runs therapy sessions where he simply gives his clients a knife and a piece of wood. He shows them how to use the knife safely and then they just sit and carve. The shape of the end result is unimportant but the communion of spirit is incredibly powerful. His clients leave feeling relaxed and with a massive sense of achievement. You might think this odd when all they have really done is make a piece of wood smaller.
But this really resonates with me. I “get” what he is doing and I think a couple of hours with a knife and a piece of wood are worth more than a whole day of counselling.
I use my carving as a way to de-stress and unwind but it is only recently that I have come to realise just how valuable it is to me. I don’t just want to carve, I must carve. And it really doesn’t matter whether I carve a rose like this
or a simple little mouse like these guys.
It really isn’t about the end result at all.
