14. Learning to Carve

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” ~Gandhi

A few months ago, Kit showed me a YouTube video of a man chainsaw carving all sorts of incredible creatures. My first thought was, “That’s f’ing awesome! I could never do that.”

That’s where I stopped myself. You see, in the last few years I’ve made it a goal of mine to become more aware of negative or “fear-based” thinking and to try to replace that type of thinking with better thoughts.

So I decided that I COULD do that.

It was an audacious proclamation, especially since I had never used a chainsaw before in my life. Heck, I’d never done any kind of real woodworking before in my life (please spare me the dirty jokes here 😉 )

To be honest, chainsaws actually scared me (kind of like how guns used to scare me). So I asked Kit to show me how to use one. I was so nervous with that first cut that I wondered again if I could really do something like that.

Kit assured me that I’d get more comfortable with it the more I practiced (just like with guns). In fact, he warned me that most mistakes tend to happen when one gets a little too comfortable, so a “healthy” amount of fear was a good thing. It would keep me alert, he said.

So I practiced making simple cuts and in the meantime watched hour upon hour of YouTube videos learning how to carve. You really can learn just about anything on YouTube these days!

I downloaded free chainsaw carving plans online and went to work on my first piece about a month after the seed was first planted. By my second project, I had invested in a new electric carving chainsaw, a tiny angle grinder, and hand carving tools. I was starting to feel like Kit with all my tool purchases!

Below are pictures that’ll take you through the evolution of my projects. I have to admit, even I’m impressed with myself at how far I’ve come since my first project. So glad I stopped those first negative thoughts and proved to myself that I CAN.

With each new carving, I’m finding that I really love the challenge, and I especially love creating. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog! Feel free to follow me on Instagram @thebeckymonster

Blessings!

Becky