[MR] NSTIW

[Ceara ni Neill]

AshaHito was rumored to suggest:
<snip>
>...The very best NSTIW stories or Bad Judging stories are really funny. If
> this starts getting too intense, I'm going to start entering period
> artifacts in A&S competition! Or Plastic/Resin reproductions there of!

> ========================================================================

I remember hearing a story long ago about a Pennsic past, where someone
had an extant 14th century tunic on loan, and just for kicks entered it in
a competition. According to the story, it was picked apart (figuratively)
and the person was chastised for entering such a non-period rag. Imagine
the judges' surprise when the entrant presented them with the certificate
of authenticity and other paperwork from the museum.
I always found that story amusing.

I dont' enter a lot of competitions anymore. When I first joined the SCA,
I did. I like to try new things. Typically, I'll try something, do okay on
it,  and then I'd enter it in a competition. Back in the day I had a lot
of entries at every competion, upwards of 5-7, once as much as 14. I kept
winning all these competitions. Something just seemed too easy. I was a
beginner, for Danu's sake! I think due to geography at the time the local
judges didnt' really have experience in the fields that I was entering. I
rarely had more documentation than a scribbled paragraph.
When I started brewing, however, this changed. Apparently there were a lot
of brewers in the area, because the competition suddenly got REALLY stiff.
I wasnt' winning anything, getting negative comments and the judges were
drinking all my stuff anyway. Nothing worse than folks slurping up all
your mead & cordials, and then telling you that you did it wrong! I still
brew, probably a lot more than I used to, but now I share it with people
that will appreciate it. And a few of you know who you are! <grin>

I had to stop and rethink what I was doing, and decided that if I didnt'
want to hear what I was doing wrong and that I'm not winning, maybe a
competition isnt' the the thing I ought to be doing. Displays are usually
the way I go nowadays. I do like constructive criticism though.

One day I awoke too late to get my entries into the hall. I'd brought a
lot of stuff. So I spoke to the hall steward and was afforded a table to
set up for display. I sat at the table all day and talked to people about
the items as they came by to look. I had more fun doing that than any
competition I've ever done in my life. I had an opportunity to get
feedback from people who knew these skills better than I as well as the
opportunity to teach others that were interested but too shy (or lacking
that 'round tuit') to seek out a teacher. Granted I didnt' know a lot
about a lot of the items I'd done, being a beginner myself, but i'd
learned basics that I could pass on.

I still like to make things. Since moving to Atlantia I've found myself
surrounded by a lot of excellent craftspeople that really know their
stuff. So slowly I'm beginning to enter a competition here and there
again; but I gotta say that one of the things I like best is seeing all
the really great stuff that everybody else is working on, seeing the
different approaches to different things that people do.

Its' not about winning, it's about learning and sharing. And that's what
makes it fun!

--
===Ceara ni Neill
http://HouseBarra.com