Jan 30, 2014 | General
This week my good friend Stuart came over with a couple of trees to look at. One of them was this lovely little Ezo spruce. A great example of the benefits of taking your time.
It’s a sad fact that we westerners are in a hurry all the time. Everything has to be ASAP. Nobody can wait for anything. Stupid marketing has sold us all on one minute this, instant that, same day, next day, super fast etc’ and we are all much worse off for it. Stress is one of the biggest killers in todays society. I should know, before I started Kaizen Bonsai I worked as an operations manager for a print company, the stress of which put me in hospital with chronic phneumonia just days from a pine box.
I do understand that, particularly as a business we need to get our finger out. Like many people I spend great chunks of my life in front of a screen prodding little plastic squares with my stubby digits. I do most of my buying right from my desk and thanks to the magic of the interweb i can buy anything I need, very often from far flung places in the world. There’s a great sense of excitement every time a brown cardboard box turns up at my door, that’s the magic of mail order. Half the fun of buying mail order is in spending time hunting for exactly what you need and the expectation of it’s imminent arrival. Once you have the box open and packaging all over the floor the spell is broken and all you have is a bunch of stuff that you either have to use or find a place to keep. It’s a bit like a kid at Christmas, once your presents are open and dinner is eaten it’s all a bit of a let down really and there’s just a bunch of crap on telly to endure until bedtime.
In a way it’s a bit like bonsai, we work hard press forward and chase a dream to create or obtain the perfect tree. Very often we cut corners and do things that, deep down, we know is either risky or just plain wrong in an attempt to arrive at our goal sooner than perhaps we deserve. Based on our experience at that moment we have a picture of what we want to achieve, the problem is in order to get there we have to push ourselves and in doing so we tend to learn new things which elevates our understanding of what a good tree is and so our goal continually moves away from us much like a donkey being led by a carrot suspended in front of it’s nose.
I was once lucky enough to buy a perfect trident maple, just what I had always dreamed of owning. I put it in a beautiful pot and displayed it at the top European bonsai show. It got a full page in the book and it was shown in a magazine too. I kept it for a year before I sold it. I sold it because it was boring. For sure I could continue to develop and refine it but it was just too dull. Don’t get me wrong, I love refining bonsai, styling raw material is, to me, frustrating, at the end the trees are never what I hoped. As they say, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
I say all that to say this. Bonsai is not about an end goal, it’s not about a finished tree, it’s about the journey. In fact it’s not even about little trees, it’s about you. We like to think we are busy developing trees but in fact we are busy developing ourselves and our own skills, imagination, creativity and patience. Once we have them the trees appear to do themselves. However one thing that cannot be circumvented is the time it takes. We can push all we like but trees go at their own pace and dictate what we can achieve.
I don’t know anything in life that’s worth having that came easy, or quickly. For instance Ford build a car in 7 hours. Bentley take more than 720 hours. If you have driven both (I have) you know exactly where that extra time goes. Which brings me back to Stuart’s spruce.
We picked this tree up from an importer about 6 years ago. At that time it was much as you see it now but a lot smaller. Stuart popped it into it’s current pot and pretty much left it untouched ever since. Over that period it became a bit of a blob without any definition or character. When it arrived here I got the impression he was hoping to offload it on me. I think we all get that way with our trees at times. So, undeterred I spent about two and a half hours clipping and pruning and cleaning. Gradually a beautiful tree emerged. Not perhaps the crazy twisted dragon of a tree that’s become very popular over recent years but very special nonetheless. Over the past few years this tree has developed a very special beautiful quiet character that is rarely seen in western bonsai. Proof indeed that bonsai does take time but it’s worth waiting for, just enjoy the journey and keep on learning.
G.
Jan 12, 2014 | General
I am constantly bombarded by requests for help from people who want to create beautiful bonsai. Some are just starting out and some have been plodding away for years. The defining factor is a concern about doing it wrong and messing up their material. This comes from a lack of experience. A lack of experience and unwillingness to make a mistake create paralysis which ultimately leads to nothing happening. The defining characteristic of those who do nothing is that, they don’t do anything, and doing nothing creates nothing, which is in itself very dissatisfying, and that’s why most people give up bonsai after a few years. It’s got nothing to do with a lack of skill but everything to do with an unwillingness to pay the price to obtain that skill.
Someone has said it takes 10,000 hours to truly master a significant skill. Think about anyone you admire for their skill and prowess in a particular field. I love motorcycle racing and I can confidently say there is not a single great rider out there who hasn’t spent that kind of time riding the wheels off something. The same applies to any sportsman, businessman or great achiever. Many of you will be familiar with Valentino Rossi, arguably one of the greatest motorcycle riders of modern times. You can be sure he fell off his first bike and on occasions continues to do so. Over the years he has suffered some pretty horrifying injuries as a result of his willingness to ride right out onto the edge of his talent and often just beyond. This willingness to push to the extreme edge is what has made him great along with others like Giacomo Agostini, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton or Richard Petty. All of these guys failed along the way but they just kept coming back time after time and THAT’S what made them great. The winning is a secondary benefit.
If you get your bonsai wrong it won’t end up in a broken vertebrae or fractured skull. At worst you will have a dead tree and THAT my friends IS the price of an education. I intend to write a great deal more on this subject but for now I offer my No1 secret for success in bonsai.
TURN THE TV OFF, GET OFF THE SOFA, GO OUTSIDE AND DO SOME WORK!
I have been doing this for more than 20 years and having completed my 10,000 hours I have to concur with the wise old sage who came up with that quote.
Youth is wasted on the young, age and experience rule the world.
For now I will leave you with a little video clip……
ON BEING CREATIVE
G.
Jan 3, 2014 | General
Kaizen Bonsai will be kicking off the new year with a visit to the Noelanders Trophy in Belgium. It’s 14 years since I first visited this great show and have been every year since. This has become the premier bonsai show in Europe and a meeting point for bonsai enthusiasts from all over the world. Besides a stunning display of the best bonsai in Europe there is also a chance to visit the largest indoor bonsai market with over 40 traders. Over the last few years KB have been running a stand at the event which has proven such a success that we now have to take two vans to accommodate everything. Already this year we have a lot of pre-show orders so if there is anything you would like us to bring please let us know in good time. We will be leaving 16 January so don’t leave it too late, space is limited.
You can contact us by email – [email protected] or Telephone – 0044 0 1493 781834
For more details of the show Noelanders Trophy XV
G.
Dec 24, 2013 | General
It’s very refreshing to have some good news, there is more and more of it about if you look in the right places. Today I am pleased to say that Masakuni Bonsai tools are back in stock. Since the dark clouds of gloom gathered over the crash induced by greedy bastard bankers we have been unable to stock these world renowned iconic bonsai tools simply because the price went out of reach. Now the clouds are beginning to part and a few rays of warm sun are making their way to us on planet commerce. And the best bit?
MASAKUNI TOOLS ARE NOW BETWEEN £10-£12 CHEAPER THAN LAST TIME WE HAD THEM IN STOCK.
More patterns will be with us in the new year but for now check out what we have here Masakuni Bonsai Tools.
G.
Dec 22, 2013 | General
I have no idea why but I seem to have gained a reputation for being a grumpy old git. I am sure the irony of this statement will not be lost on those that know me or have been on the receiving end of an unfeeling email. I have a penchant for the truth, what you see is what you get and what I say is what I mean. I am not swayed by public opinion, fashion or populist ideals. In todays parlance I might be called a dinosaur. Personally I believe that honesty, fairness, integrity and probity are essential human characteristics that are abandoned all to quickly in favour of a profit these days. I shall continue to have the courage of my convictions irrespective of what others think. As the Bard wrote in Hamlet (Polonius) “This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
Which, in a convoluted manner, brings me to the point of this post, CHRISTMAS.
Christmas has never been of any consequence in the Potter household. I have never owned a Christmas tree or participated in any of the daft hokum that goes on at this time of year. I just don’t get the whole idea of putting yourself and one’s family under the crushing pressure and stress of creating the ‘perfect’ day to celebrate the birthday of someone who, sadly, almost nobody believes in any more. Now it’s nice to have a get together with family and friends and giving a gift to a loved one is always a joy but this whole christmas idea has gotten completely out of hand. 8 weeks of relentless advertising, ridiculous ideas about fat blokes in red suits and outrageous traditions, crap tunes, tons of sickly rich food and credit card crushing expenditure that will see you well into the spring before it’s all paid for, it goes on and on and I just don’t get it. HUMBUG!
As a business owner christmas can be of great advantage. However having done this for over a decade now I find this time of year to be tough. I just do not understand how it works. For instance last year we got everything stocked up before the holiday shopping period, girded our loins and prepared for the onslaught…… which never came, December was the worst month of the year. This year I treated the whole notion with indifference and carried on as normal….. and we have been inundated. It’s just possible we have had our best month ever, everyone is exhausted, Catherine is fast asleep, Rammon went home, the dog is snoring his head off and there’s just me sitting here talking nonsense. We have sold around two hundred trees in the last month alone. Who said bonsai in the UK is not doing well.
Kaizen Bonsai will be closed from December the 24th through to January the 6th. Obviously our web site will be up and running but your orders will not be despatched until we return in January. We work seven days a week here and because we work from home there is NEVER a chance for a break. People like to phone at all hours, especially Americans who call at 2-4am. So as a christmas gift to my family we are closed for the holidays. Please don’t call or visit. You can send emails and I will probably reply to a few.
So, after all there are some advantages to the hokum of christmas!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your amazing support over the last year. Doing business has been an absolute pleasure this year, your support is VERY much appreciated and I feel privileged to have such a great community of folk around us. Thank you 🙂
Have a great Christmas whatever you are doing. I’ll be building this…
Graham.
Dec 6, 2013 | General
As we approach silly season everyone seems to have a heightened sense of urgency. Here at KB we have already noticed the stress building. This time of year we get lots of frantic phone calls, folk with high pitched voices talking really fast making sure no stone is left unturned in their endeavour to create the ‘perfect day’. We get a lot of frantic, and often very rude, emails about delivery and delays. Considering most carriers are close to melt down at this time of year I guess it’s understandable if you apply a little perverted logic.
So as the world steps up to DEFCON 1 it’s reassuring to know that, here at Kaizen Bonsai, World Towers it’s business as usual. You can trust us to get your order there on time for the big day. Much like the boy scouts we are prepared for every emergency and can certainly handle a few extra parcels and like the old ad’ used to say ‘We won’t make a drama out of a crisis’.
In case you are worrying about missing the boat here are our UK delivery cut off dates for Christmas 2013.
Royal mail – Used for small parcels – Our 1 Kilo Charge £3.00 rate.
Final shipping date for this service is Wednesday 18 December.
Interlink Courier service – Used for all parcels above 1 Kilo – Our 30 Kilo Charge £6.95 rate.
Final shipping date for this service is Monday 23 December.
Because couriers and mail services are inundated at this time of year we recommend giving yourself a little safety margin and ordering early. KB will not be responsible for late delivery where we shipped by the above dates.
DON’T FORGET MANY ITEMS WE SELL ARE AVAILABLE AS ONE OFF ITEMS AND LIMITED STOCK. IF YOU DON’T BUY IT WHEN YOU SEE IT CHANCES ARE IT WILL BE GONE WHEN YOU COME BACK!
