Corwyn's Ring of Chivalry

Someday, the day will come. On that day I will have an idea and someone will tell me no, or I have gone too far. Fortunately, that day hasn't come yet.

So I made a scroll for a friend who is legally blind and I made it as a giant eye-chart. My partner-in-crime, Mistress Gwenhwfyr ber Cain, did her math ninja thing and figured the correct proportions of each line and what eye strength it represents and I merrily lettered away. So, it's not so much calligraphy as trying to look like a printed font.

On the upside, he found it amusing and when pressing his face to the scroll, he could read the letter 'E'. Success!

Ring of Chivalry for Baron Corwyn

Each good deed and kind word is a tiny spark and as those kindnesses multiply they become a beacon by which we can know the worth and chivalry of a man. As Corwyn Moray shines exemplar with his many acts and deeds, the ladies of the Barony of Wyvernwoode would bestow this Ring of Chivalry. So done this 3rd day of January, AS 48

So, that was fun.

Reflections on the Arts and Sciences Competitions

Photo credit: Jared Bluestein

I'm a Laurel, so I take judging Arts and Sciences Faires pretty seriously. I don't think I have missed a Kingdom A&S competition in the last 14 years or so.

As an artisan, it's my pleasure to supply fair and honest critique while always being polite. As a person, it is a humbling experience to watch another artisan progress year after year and find their strengths in their art. As a Laurel, it's part of my job to judge kindly and train new judges to do the same so that entrants feel welcome to enter their projects in the competition.

Not everyone has the same approach, but here's what's worked for me.

Maol's Quick Guide to Judging Art/Sci

1.) Be Nice
For anything you feel that needs to be said, there is a nice or polite way to say it. If you can't find a way to be business polite, then go see the A&S minister, turn in your judging forms and take yourself out of the hall. Go for a walk, enjoy the event, but don't go back into the hall to judge. Sometimes we're in the wrong head space, having a bad day, something has set us off or we are just pissy. That happens, but it is no excuse for being unkind to an entrant.There is never an excuse to be mean. You can be honest without being a jackass.

A good test: Do not say or write anything that you would be unwilling to say or write if the artisan was sitting next to you.

2.) If there's a huge, glaring problem- offer to judge with critique only
Sometimes a novice entrant or a person new to the SCA will have had very little guidance before entering an A&S competition. Misunderstandings happen. Sometimes you'll be presented with an entry o judge, but when you sit down and critically look at the piece or the documentation, you may notice a huge problem. Perhaps the documentation is scant, or just entirely incorrect. Perhaps the entrant misunderstood a process or incorrectly translated a part of a recipe and has entirely missed some critical process or understanding. These artisans are excited enough to try entering the competition, so help them get it right. A quick chat with the A&S minister can usually make a problem very clear and together you can find a way to supply critique without giving a dismal score that will forever keep the entrant from returning to a competition.

3.) Invite people to judge with you
If someone looks interested in how the competition runs or how the judging process works, invite them to ride along with you. Take some time to explain the process and how you are judging and you can judge an entry while training a new judge. If someone has expressed reservations about entering the competition, ask them to come along with you as you judge so they can gain a better understanding of what judges look for and how the process works. In that case you have just helped to train a new judge and prepare an entrant for competition. I find that team judging works nicely for training new judges. Take a few minutes to talk about the judging form and ask your new judges if they have any thoughts. Their insight might surprise you.

4.) Judge up, not down.
When scoring, don't look for places to dock points. It puts you in a negative frame of mind. If your judging form is a rubric, read upward on the points scale until you find the score that best fits the entry and documentation. If you aren't sure and are hovering between a 7 and an 8, judge upward and award points, rather than detract them. Be positive and approach each entry separately as something worthy of regard.

5.) Welcome artisans to be a part of the judging process.
During judging, some artisans don't like to be present because they are stressed. That's understandable as many of us have huge problems laying a piece of our fragile artist's soul on a table and then waiting for it to be graded. If the artisan is willing to sit with you, you have a new teaching opportunity. As you see places where documentation or a skill could be improved or refined, you can show the artisan what will help improve their work, their docs and their score for next time.

6.) Explain yourself
There is nothing more infuriating as an entrant as looking at your judging sheets and have no idea why you received a particular score. If the entrant is not able or willing to sit with you during the judging process so you can explain your critique and make suggestions for improvement then leave you contact information and invite the artisan to contact you if they have more questions.

7.) Don't be a dick
For entrants, Art/Sci can be a remarkably positive experience or it can be a soul-sucking drain that makes them want to flee from the very word 'competition' and throw their art in the nearest murky body of water. Don't be that judge who gives a terrible score, mean commentary or makes snarky comments that get overheard by the entrant. No one needs that crap and you'll just be the one who looks like an ass in the long run. Respect that the entrant has volunteered their time and skill and then has put their piece forward for critique. Lastly, never use the excuse of docking a point on an entry because in your estimation "nothing is perfect" or "I would have done this one tiny super-obscure thing differently". It's just a point. Again, imagine how you would feel if you were then entrant and if you have any doubts, see #7

Maol's Quick Guide to Entering Art/Sci:

1.) Look at Judging forms in advance.
Judging forms tell you precisely how judges will be scoring you. Look at the categories and questions that the rubric asks and make sure that you answer each one thoroughly. Use the rubric as a guide to understanding on what merits and documentation your piece will be judged. The judging rubric is essentially an entirely acceptable crib sheet that you are encouraged to use.

2.) Don't assume judges know what you are talking about
Good documentation is made up of answers to the following questions: What did they do in the middle ages? What did they use in the middle ages? How did they make this in the middle ages? What did you do? What did you use? How did you make this? What are the differences between what was done in the middle ages and why do those differences exist. Sure, you may know everything there is to know about the citrus trade, hybridization, uses and propagation in the middle ages, but your judges may not be so conversant with it. Supply the answers to the questions that the rubric asks and make sure you provide the info the judges need.

3.) Don't assume judges are mean or terrible people
Judges are just folk. They may have some special knowledge and insights, but to be honest they are just people. They probably want more coffee, find the chairs uncomfortable, wish they could be out in the sun and probably like candy. They are likely not terrible people. Be helpful by making sure that the information you provide is easy to navigate and well laid out, that your piece is appropriately and neatly displayed, and that you have done you best to secure a good score with your skills and documentation.

4.) Stay and listen to your critique
Unless you are unable to attend the competition or have a medical condition that prevents you, be strong enough to stick around and listen to your judges. You'll likely make some new contacts in your field of art and will have the opportunity to pick the brains of experienced judges and artisans. Take notes on what they say and suggest and you won't have to try to decipher bad handwriting on a cramped judging form later.

5.) Be positive
Go into the A&S competition with the expectations that you will receive honest critique on your work and documentation and suggestions for improvement. If you take a positive attitude in with you then you will likely have a positive experience. If you are certain that the experience will be terrible and awful, your prophecy will likely fulfill itself.

6.) Don't be a dick
For judges, Art/Sci can be a remarkably positive experience or it can be a soul-sucking drain that makes them want to flee from the very word 'competition' and throw their red pen and themselves in the nearest murky body of water. Don't be that entrant who freaks out, sobs uncontrollably, shouts strong language or makes snarky comments that get overheard by the judge. No one needs that crap and you'll just be the one who looks like an ass in the long run. Be a grown up. Accept your critique and take it in the spirit it was intended. If you have a problem with a judge, go talk politely to the A&S minister who can usually clear up the issue with little effort. Respect that the judges are volunteers giving up their time to provide critique and are missing their event to stay in the hall and judge.

Lastly, if you do miss a perfect score by just one point from one judge, just take a second to breathe. Go to that judge and politely ask them what they would recommend you do to improve that deduction. If they are obviously just being a jerk and claim to "never give perfect scores on principle", then brush off their commentary and go hang out with your friends. You're awesome.

Wyvern's Heart for Draig

Wyvern's Heart for Draig Ui Meic Theire inspired by a leaf from Walters Museum MS W.185, known also as the Doffinnes Hours. I found the original to be simple yet elegant, more appropriate for a man than the usual flowers and bling I am naturally drawn to. The illumination for this was quite speedy: sketched, painted, and detailed in about 3 hours. My favorite detail is the trefoils in the white work on the right hand bar. I really need to put in some more calligraphy time as I feel my skills are slipping quite a bit. Award presented by Baron Segdae and Baroness Madeleine at Hero of the Chalice in Jan 2014.

Here's the presentation:

Photo credit: Jared Bluestein

Snails for Finnguala

A page inspired by the Mira Calligraphae Monumenta for HL Finnguala inghean Alusdair. The original page depicts a fly opposite the right hand snail, but as Finnguala is rather fond of snails the fly was replaced with a second snail.

Ring of Chivalry is given by unanimous vote of the Ladies of the Barony of Wyvernwoode for remarkable courtesy and chivalry.

This image doesn't have the best color representation, especially in the gold tones, but you get the idea.


Here is the presentation:

Photo credit: Ben Turner

I made both of us cry with this one. Doing a piece of illumination for someone you love makes the work so much easier and more delightful. The Mira Calligraphae Monumenta is the favorite manuscript of both Finnguala and myself.

The Art of Saying 'No'

SCA: A Culture of Yes

Being a member of a volunteer organization requires a 'Culture of Yes'. Nothing happens without someone donating their time, skills and knowledge to get a project done. From running a tourney to running an event, everything we do in the SCA is entirely dependent upon someone, and often many someones, saying yes and undertaking a great deal of work to make a project come to fruition.

We need to be respectful of our volunteers. We need to thank our volunteers and treat them well. We need to ask our volunteers to help in the right way and then provide them with the training and support they need to accomplish their volunteer position. We need to also graciously accept when volunteers decline and tell us they cannot help.

How to Say 'No'

Growing up as a Catholic, this was a hard thing to wrap my brain around. Twelve years of Catholic school and an Irish/German Catholic grandma (who scared the hell out of me) taught me to always say yes. I was told to do something and I did it. Sure, that makes sense when you are a child but growing up and shaking off that mantle of guilt is not as easy as you want it to be. I had to learn this. I'm still learning. Often, the life lessons in accomplishing this goal suck. It was a revelation the day I first said 'No, I'm sorry but I can't do your scroll." I walked away as if something heavy had been taken from me. It was liberating but I still felt guilty as all hell.

The key is knowing that you don't have to say 'yes'.

You are a volunteer. When you volunteer you are donating your time, your expertise and sometimes even your money. Nothing demands that you do this. No one should require you to give of yourself something that you don't want to give. Respect yourself, your skills and your time.

The SCA Litany of 'No'

• If you have been asked to do something and you are already busy or overloaded: It is ok to say no.
• If someone asks you to help and they are impolite or offensive: It is ok to say no.
• If you have been asked to assist with something but have not been allotted enough time to complete the project: It is ok to say no.
• If someone asks you to help with a project that requires spending money you don't have: It is ok to say no.
• If someone asks you to help at an event the same weekend as a mundane engagement- from work to dinner with visiting family: It is ok to say no.
• If you are asked to do something that you are good at but don't enjoy: It is ok to say no.
• If you are asked to help and you don't want to work with that person on that project: It is ok to say no.
• If you think that interpersonal drama may be the result of working on a project: It is ok to say no.
• If you are asked to take an office that your are not comfortable with: It is ok to say no.
• It is ok to say no.
• It is ok to say no.
• It is ok to say no.
• Amen.

The Responsibility of Saying 'No'

You actually have to say no. It can be hard, but you can do it. However, you need to be respectful of the person who has asked for your assistance. If you are asked to lend a hand, don't let that request linger if you don't want to be involved. Be polite, respond quickly and be firm in your response. Just say "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can be of assistance there." You can give reasons why, if you want... but you don't have to. You can just be polite and say 'I'm sorry, but no'. 

How to Get a Yes

There are those who are shocked when they ask for help with what they think is a reasonable request within the SCA and they do not get volunteers. There are tricks to everything, and getting volunteers to assist you requires a lot of forethought, a touch of patience, a modicum of social skills and a giant dollop of gratitude.

If you have had trouble getting volunteers to help with projects, events and offices then keep reading but please do so with an open mind. The problem might not be every single person that says no. The problem might be in your approach, the perception of how you treat volunteers or in your request not being clearly conveyed.

Our Lady of Assumptions (Worst Saint Ever)

• Assuming will screw you every time. Your volunteers will also suffer for your assumptions, but you will be the one left holding the weight of responsibility if you are in charge. You will find yourself with unhappy volunteers and a project of which you are not proud. They probably won't volunteer for you again in the future.
• Your internal expectations cannot be met if your volunteers are not aware of them. No one can or should have to read your mind. Be open with your expectations. A volunteer who works hard and then feels that their work fell short of your expectations will feel like they have failed. They probably won't volunteer for you again.
• Your project or event will suffer if your volunteers feel they don't have support or are not being appreciated. Those people will not volunteer for you again if you burn bridges.

For instance: Just because you have run a particular event for ten years and a particular person has always donated prizes for your tourney does not mean they will donate a prize this year. You still have to ask them. You still have to ask them politely. You also need to ask in a timely manner... a day to a week before the event is not a timely manner. Give people the time they need to achieve their goal, but only after they actually agree to help you.

Care and Feeding of your Volunteers

• As a project coordinator you are responsible not only for your project but also for your volunteers. Take good care of them.
• Ask if people are available to help in a timely manner. 
• Ask people directly if you want their help. An all-call on an email list or Facebook is impersonal and won't get you a lot of results. Ask people via a phone call, direct email or face to face. Let them know why you have picked them and what role you would like them to fill.
• Be understanding if people say they are not available to help. Thank them anyway just for considering your request.
• Say thank you when someone offers or agrees to help.
• Ask if your volunteers have questions and find them answers.
• Ask if your volunteers need help and find them help.
• Ask if your volunteers need training and find them training.
• Find out what your volunteers want from their volunteer experience and help them achieve their goal. Do they want to learn? Do they want to provide a particular skills set? Do they want to meet new people? Do they want to be social? Figure out what your volunteers need from their experience and help them to have a good experience. 
• Check in with your volunteers during the prep period for your project and also while the event or project is happening. They might need help so don't forget about them.
• Avoid asking people who are 'high drama' to help you if you are not willing to accept them for who they are. 
• Don't put 'high drama' people together on a project as it won't end well. Trust me.
• Pair volunteers on projects carefully. Ask them if they are ok with working with someone and don't assume that everyone gets along... even among your own friends. 
• Say thank you a lot.
• Acknowledge your volunteers and make sure they get credit for their work.
• Be willing to volunteer when other people ask for help, rather than always being the one in charge and organizing. Every so often you need to help mop a hall or wash some dishes rather than directing the project. Be seen as a good leader.
• Don't ask anyone to do something that you are not willing to do yourself.
• Happy volunteers who enjoy an experience will volunteer to help you again.
• Hand out small tokens of appreciation or thank you cards to the people who help you. Be classy. They will remember it, and you next time you ask for help.

What Did I Miss?

Do you have something that has worked for you? A suggestion I have missed? A point I have overlooked? If so, please tell me!

The Midway Sprites

This year I was able to be part of a fantastic project in conjunction with my own place of work. MOSI in Tampa obtained a grant to improve the Richard T Bowers Historic Tree Grove, a project that I have been planning for over 10 years. This year, I am finally able to work on making it a reality.

The space is a small park of 16 trees which are seedlings of parent trees, each connected with a famous person, place or event. My dream has been to combine history, art and gardens to create a beautiful and moving space.

With the help of a Hillsborough County Historic Preservation grant, we have been able to start with a number of improvements. Each tree will have a sign that explains its past and is adorned with beautiful artwork by Holly Bird. Each tree will have an ethnobotanical garden to help interpret its past with concepts created by myself and the brilliant Jill Staake. An artists created wind instrument for each tree will give voice to every tree when the wind shakes their leaves. Lastly, each tree will have a bench for guests and each bench will be decorated with a piece of art created especially for the tree.

A number of incredibly talented artists created gorgeous pieces for the project, but this time I got to bring my art to work with me. I created the bench art mural for the Frank Lloyd Wright Ginkgo tree. I took my inspiration from the design of Midway Gardens in Chicago and the Garden Sprite statues that adorned the structure in its brief existence.

Last week the printed versions of the art arrived and on Thursday we will install the benches in place. In the next few weeks we will also install the printed murals on the garden benches and a piece of my art will finally have a home in the garden where I have worked for nearly 14 years. Anyway, here is the piece and the information that I put together for the MOSI website.

Kristen Gilpin: Artist Statement
I'm fascinated by history and how it reaches into the present. Modern ruins, ghost towns, lost graveyards and demolished places have a special draw for me. I enjoy researching and exploring these areas and using them as inspiration for my art.

This piece was inspired by the sprite sculptures and a sketch of a mural that appeared at Midway Gardens in Chicago. Midway Gardens was an indoor and outdoor entertainment complex that was designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Decorating the inside and outside of the complex were sculptures entitled Garden Sprites. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and sculpted by Alphonso Iannelli, these statues were angular and beautiful men and women. Some playful, others thoughtful, some victorious, the Sprites of Midway Gardens were paired with wall murals to create an otherworldly and beautiful space.

Midway Gardens changed hands and names several times in the brief years of its existence. In 1929 Midway Gardens was demolished and the rubble was bulldozed into Lake Michigan. The demolition included not only the building, but the hundreds of pieces of statuary that had been used at the site. In the mid 1940's several of the sprites were found damaged but intact in a field in Wisconsin, apparently having been saved from demolition. These few were restored and put on display.

Midway Gardens now exists only in black and white photographs, design sketches, memory and these few remaining intact and broken pieces of the sprites. I am glad I could help find a new garden home for the memory of Midway Gardens and the Sprites.

About Kristen: Kristen Gilpin is a historical reenactor, maker of butterflies, artist, calligrapher, gardener, adventurer and history enthusiast who resides in Tampa, Florida. More of her art can be seen at her art blog: melessee.blogspot.com

Prints of the Sprites can be found at my Etsy store: Currant Thoughts.

On the making of better SCAdians...

I'm continuing with posting some of my thoughts about the SCA and how I would like to see it improve. Today, I'd like to concentrate on my thoughts about newcomers.

I love newcomers. To them all of the grandeur, pomp and pageantry of the SCA is a wonder. I love watching how they wince when they watch a strong blow landed in a heavy combat tourney, how they lean forward listening to songs at a bardic circle, how they just see with wonder the things to which we have become accustomed.

How do we help them to keep that wonder and become members of our community rather than just visitors? What takes a spectator and makes them yearn to be a participant? We must include new people and train them to be better SCAdians. However, we have to be better SCAdians as we work to set that example.

It takes a little time. It means a little forethought. It requires you to think about more than just yourself and your friends. Sure, it's easy to get caught up in what you are doing but think of it this way- that new person might be the one helping you mop a hall in ten years.

Fact: People like to feel welcome.
It is hella uncomfortable to stand around in a room or campsite full of people who all know each other and are chatting amiably when you don't know a soul. Make a small effort to be welcoming and you might find a new friend or just help a new SCAdian get started a little easier. Invite new people to step deeper into an event, a class, a project and help them become welcome participants.

• We can welcome new people by smiling and saying good day each time we see someone who we do not recognize. Positive body language and polite conversation are a nice place to start.
• We can introduce ourselves to people we don't know. "Hi, I'm sorry, have we met? I'm so and so. Are you new to the area?"
• If you are sitting at a bardic or in a class and someone wanders up looking interested, take a moment and invite them to come closer and join the group. Let them know what is going on and let them know they can ask questions.

Fact: People like to feel needed and useful.
Standing around with empty hands when everyone else has something to do is uncomfortable. No event in the history of the SCA has ever gone off without a bunch of help being needed. Try to look out for new people and invite them to pitch in.

• Introduce yourself to people who look lost or alone when you are working on a project. Invite them to help you but let them know that they do not have to help. "Hi there, if you have a few minutes would you mind lending us a hand setting up these chairs?"
• If you are working on a project and notice someone watching ask them if they would like to learn more about it. "Hi, I'm processing reservations for the event. Would you like to learn more about how we do this?" "I'm chopping vegetables for dinner tonight. Want to keep us company while we work?" 
• Say thank you every time someone helps you. If you have just met them or if you have known them for decades, it does not matter. They helped you. Offer your thanks often and loudly.

Fact: People like to feel attractive.
Just once, take a moment to watch how a person changes at a day event when they wear their mundane clothing into a changing space and come out wrapped in a different century. Those who dress up stand a little straighter and smile a little easier. When people feel like they look good, they feel instantly better about themselves. Don't donate your hideous old kitchen tunic to Gold Key. Don't put your newcomer in rags.

• Make an effort to help new people find loaner clothing that will fit them properly, be comfortable and will look nice. No, they don't need to be fully kitted in Elizabethan, but help them look respectable.
• Make an item and donate it to Gold Key. A simple tunic dress, a fresh and clean pair of pants and tunic, accessories like simple belts. 
• Take a moment of your time and tell people when they look good. New or old to the SCA, a genuine compliment feels good. 
• Don't send out a new person dressed in something you would be embarrassed to wear. Ever.
• If a new person admires your garb, help them find the knowledge on how to purchase it or how to get started with making it. Never tell someone that your garb would be too difficult or complex for them to make. It's rude and you have no idea what they are capable of. Be a good teacher, a good SCAdian and a good person. 

Fact: People like to feel knowledgeable.
When new people ghost around the edges of classes, tourney fields or even groups of people, they are interested. Something drew them in and caught their attention. Take some time with new people and help them find out how to learn more

• Ask people what interests them and then suggest people on site or upcoming classes that might be able to help them gain knowledge.
• Suggest some good books or websites on the topic. Ask for their email address and share your knowledge with them in a way that is useful and not an on-the-spot info dump.
• No one gets it right the first time or every time. If someone makes a mistake, uses the wrong title of address or uses the wrong term for something accidentally, be polite and correct them with a smile. Use gentle language like you would want from someone who was correcting you. 

Fact: People like to feel appreciated. 
Doing a good job or working hard and then not being acknowledged is a soul-sucking experience.

• Say thank you. A lot. Whenever someone helps you, say thanks. Every time. It's not overkill.
• Be free with tokens of thanks. Pack a few blank note cards that can be turned into on-the-spot thank you notes. Have a few spare items of largess that you can hand to someone when they do something cool or helpful. Exhibiting this behavior of recognition helps to teach our new people how they can thank people in the future. 
• Give honest and genuine compliments. Tell people when they look good or that you appreciate their effort with something they have done. Thank people for serving. 
• Compliment even small acts of chivalry. A new person offering to help carry a chair should be made to feel welcome and then thanked for their effort. a gentleman pausing so that a lady can pass. Someone holding a door. These are the ideals we want in our society. Start by doing them. Finish with acknowledging them in others. In time, it really will catch on.

Fact: People like to try stuff out.
One of the recent inspirations that struck me was from one of my own associates: My apprentice HL Finnguala inghen Alister was making a piece of stick weaving and another friend looked on with interest. "Do you want to learn how to make this?" Finnguala asked. The other lady quickly said yes. Finnguala whipped a stick weaving starter kit out of a bag and put it in the lady's hands. "Let's get you started then." I was floored: what a great way to get someone started with an art? It made me realize that I need to up my game. A scribal art starter kit might be a little harder, but maybe I just need to think a lit farther out of the box.

What have I left out? How can I be a better SCAdian by helping others get involved in this club?

About this Game I Play

I have made amazing friends.

I am going to take a few moments to step away from my art and talk about the club in which I participate: the Society for Creative Anachronism. On many weekends a year, I join hundreds of friends at campsites around Florida. I put on medieval clothing and step into another persona. I pick up a quill and a brush and become a respected artisan among people who do hundreds of crafts of the middle ages. I walk past Knights who smile and nod their head to me. I exchange gentle banter with bards and gorgeous royal ladies. I use my hands to help others shape a modern place and time into a shadow of the middle ages and then I step inside for a weekend at a time.

Who gets to do that? Me! Isn't that freaking cool? I think so!

The club has its ups and downs for everyone. I've been an active participant for around 15 years. I've been a Laurel for nearly 10 of those. I have had good and bad times, but I have learned some amazing things and some valuable lessons. I have met incredible people. I have loved. I have lost. I am still here. Why do I do it? Well, I believe in the life lessons this hobby can provide and feel it is a worthwhile way to spend my time. I surround myself with remarkable people and we do remarkable things. So here are a few of my ruminations about this club to which I belong.

I get to wear fun dresses.

What I love about the SCA

There are lots of reasons I love this hobby, but the foremost is the people who play along side me. Their constant and surprising passions for long dead crafts, serving others and the joy of physical combat undertaken for sport.

Some people think this club is odd or quirky. Sure, maybe. But sitting on a couch watching sports has never appealed to me. I've always prefer to participate rather than spectate. I suck at sitting by and watching others do anything while I am still. I like too many things, learning and reading too much to just pick one hobby. So I found a hobby that keeps me busy, helps me meet interesting people and where I can practice two dozen arts in a day and think of it as a normal happenstance.

Snapshots

• The look in the eye of a fighter right after they reach a resurrection point and turn around to head back into a large battle. Determined. Gritty. Ready. Ecstatic. Giddy.
• Artgasm: the rapturous look that comes over artists as they make a leap of understanding in their craft or while they are explaining it to someone who seems to be interested.
• The crinkle at the corner of the eye of someone who smiles as they are being thanked for their service: the bashful grin, the slight glow, the spring in their step as they move away and continue working. 
• The straight and upright stance of a newcomer as they don their first beautiful garment. Either made by their own hands or loaned from a friend, there is something special about that first time that you realize that you look medieval and that you look good!

What I don't love about the SCA

We put ourselves and our hobby down by belittling it. We fall into politics. We allow ourselves to speak out negatively about people rather than trying to reach out a hand and help. Every social club has this same problem that is bred by its own membership. But we can be so much more.

Snapshots:

• Telling someone that you wear funny clothes on weekends: They aren't funny, they are awesome. Pieces of cloth that have been worked into art and that are imbued with the story of a time, a place and the people who wore them in history.
• Talking down your skill as an archer because you do it in a medieval club. You are a goddamned archer. Do you know how cool that is? You wield a weapon that helped to decide battles and changed the face of history and you do it competently. Hell yeah, that is awesome.



Worked with two friends and made a runestone.
Who gets to do that? Us!

• Making light of the SCA as a club for drinking or free love. Sure, some people have a beer (or several). Some people at an event might be totally sauced and stupid with drink, but they are at an event that happened entirely because of volunteers. People who are not being paid anything have put together a medieval event at a church or a campsite or park. At that event there are classes, battles, courts, feasts, royalty, chivalry. That is rad. Some people drinking or hooking up does not take away from the insane amount of effort and creativity that goes into making an event go off without an obvious hitch. Be proud of what we accomplish on a regular basis. We make the middle ages come alive and breath life back into the crafts, arts and combat of the middle ages. What isn't amazing about that?

What I'd like to change about the SCA

I guess the things that I would like to change about the SCA fall into three major categories: how we treat and empower young people, recording our history and training our volunteers and, lastly, dispelling the aura of chivalry that keeps us from calling people out when they make trouble.

Youth

Young people are the future of our organization. Every time we invest in them and empower them we help them to learn a bit more about who they want to or can be. We need to show them, by example and through mentorship, how we want this club to carry forward, evolve and improve for future generations. In the middle ages, many of our teens would have been considered to have reached an age of majority yet we treat them like children and lump them in with much younger groups. I strongly feel that we work too hard to keep teens as children well beyond when we should.

Ask a teen what they want to learn in the SCA and their answers will shock you. Blacksmithing, feast preparation, medieval cooking, how to run an event, combat, arts. The same answers a college student new to the SCA would give. Let's start working to provide opportunities for our young people who are asking for more. Can a 13 year old be the head server at a feast? Yep. Can a 16 year old become a competent scribe? Oh yeah. Can an 18 year old win crown tourney? Yes, they can. They are people, just shorter (however, not shorter than me in most cases) and without as much world experience. These are the officers who will take over for us when we are exhausted. These are the people who will run events when we run out of energy or care. Treat them like people. Find out what they want to achieve and help them find a way to make it happen.

I make art in public.

Memory and Training

We do a shockingly bad job of recording our own history in the SCA. Who won a tourney at this event 4 years ago? Uhhhhh. Who got the art/sci awards a decade ago? Ummmm. Where is the information that I need to do this job I volunteered for? Yeah....

We need to record our own history and then publish and share that history in ways that are both relevant and accessible. We need to train our volunteers how to hold offices and have central locations to retain handbooks, forms, waivers and documents that can help those officers. No one should have to reinvent the wheel every two years. We should pass information on also to our royalty so they know, without surprise, what will be expected of them and what their expectations should be for those volunteering in offices that will work with and for them.

Take an office. Learn it inside and out. Find the problems. Try to fix them. Record your process and reports. Train your successor. Pass on your knowledge and information. Leave the office better than you found it.

Troublemakers

Every group and club has them: people that just cause trouble. In the SCA, so often we step behind chivalry and politeness that we don't actually tell troublemakers that they are making trouble. They may not even know how they are perceived by others. This isn't nice on our part and we aren't being gallant. We are letting problems get bigger and not taking care of issues when a few words might fix a wrong. These troublesome people and situations spiral out of control and people quit the SCA in a snit or find another hobby with less perceived drama.

How do we fix this? Well, it sucks, but we have to talk to people and tell them the truth. We can be honest and yet still be polite but it is a scary thing. Will someone think you are a horrible and unkind person when you talk to someone about perceived bad behavior? Yeah, probably. Might it still be helpful? Maybe, yes. Might sometimes you be the one with the hangup or a misunderstanding and find yourself needing to make an apology? Yep, that might happen. But we can at least try to make the group better and be honest with people about how their words and deeds are perceived by others.

• The person who gossips with you at every opportunity and tells you juicy tidbits about others very likely has juicy tidbits about you that they share with the next person who walks or phones up. 
• The horrible mean person at registration might just be way out of their depth and feel thrown to the wolves with no idea how their actions are being perceived. Why not offer help and then quietly pull them aside when things calm down?
• That awful peer that said something nasty is still a person and is likely having a crappy day. Have a quiet chat and remind them that their words are powerful and can hurt people in terrible ways.
• Sometimes we gain a reputation of which we have no idea. People think we are grasping, unkind, ladder climbing, hob nobbing, brown nosing, rude to newcomers, or something else. Let a friend know how they are perceived by others. Tell them as gently as you can and somewhere without an audience. They may have no idea of their reputation and with knowledge and some good choices they can turn that perception around. 

I learned that I can write in knotwork. 

What in the SCA inspires me to keep playing

Quite a few things:

• My associates, students, friends and their love of their arts and their service. The gleam in their eyes as they dream up a new project and that sly smile that they wear when they know they have something really, really cool. I draw my inspiration from them. I remember what it was like to be un-jaded and have a limitless view of the world we are trying to build.
• When someone says thank you for something I have done or made.
• When I watch people enjoy something I have made.
• New people and their wonder.
• Those few undefinable 'perfect reenactor moments' where we get a chill as we step into a moment, a scene that seems so right for the time period we are playing that it shocks even us. Sweet God, I think this is what the 14th century actually looked and tasted and sounded and felt like! Those moments seep into your bones and help propel you forward later when you are tired. They live in your dreams and curl like a mist at the edges of your vision, coaxing you to try a little harder and believe a little more. 
• Artgasms. Cannot even make words that explain this feeling. Holy crap, I just painted a 15th century illumination and it looks pretty! I made someone cry by handing them something inspired by what they love most from the middle ages. Priceless.

How to make the SCA better, from my point of view

• Show up. 
• Try to see the good in what people are doing rather than searching for the possible bad.
• Volunteer often.
• Meet new people.
• Be willing to let your opinions of people change as they evolve.
• Don't perpetuate gossip.
• Make something beautiful.
• Keep old friends.
• Aim to inspire others in your dress, your words, your manners and your deeds.
• Lead by example and from the front. 
• Stay willing to get in the trenches. Ladders need climbing, toilets need plunging, stoves need fixing, events need to be run, water needs to be toted. Be willing to be a good participant. We need every one of us.
• Tell someone they are an inspiration.
• Thank everyone who helps. Often. Loudly.
• Speak your problems quietly, with logic and be at least business polite at all times.
• Invite friends back to the SCA when they are dispirited by helping them rediscover the things they love.
• Tell people your hobby is freaking amazing. You are an archer, a scribe, a knight, a lady, a herald, a tailor, a weaver, a cobbler, an officer, a leader. You have amazing skills and a set of knowledge that is so very rare. Cherish it. Be proud of it.

You can even start your own girl gang.

Addendum

Was this always my opinion? Simply and sadly, no. Who the hell am I and what did I do with the person you remember? I got better. I got Perspective. It helps. I try very hard to have positive people all around me. I remembered why I like this club and made better friend choices. This has helped.

Being around so many negative people wasn't bringing out the best in me. People like my associates, my students and my friends... that is who I want to be with and how I want to be. Dauntless and capable. Equal to any challenge. Filled with love and good food and better wine... and not a little gin.

We must never forget the gin.

MS Stowe 23 border

Inspiration Source: MS Stowe 23, British Library

Original Artist: Ghent Gradual Master

Origin: 1460, Netherlands

Creation Time: 2.5 hours @ scribal night

Loftie Hours border

Inspiration source: Loftie Hours

Original Artist: Masters of the Delft Grisailles

Origin: mid-15th century. Delft, Netherlands

Creation time: 2 hours @ scribal night

Brenna's County and Rose, layer by layer

Finished piece, day 7

Let all who know see in her Trimarian Grace - a Countess.

Let all who know see in her a Rose’s Grace - a Queen.

See in her both worth and quality.

See in her the shining Emerald Sea.

See in her the grace of the blue stream

and the running silver of the Dream.

Thus do we, Kurn and Eridani, Crown of Trimaris

by These Letters of Patent name Brenna Jerabek a Countess

and elevate you to the Order of the Rose.

So done this Mar. 30th  AS XLVII

Text composed by: Lord James Highgate

Illumination and Calligraphy by: Baroness Maol Mide ingen Medra, OL, OP

Illumination inspired by: The Salzburg Missal Folio 60 verso. Circa 1480 in Regensburg, Salzburg

Day 6, more details, some faces started

Day 5, details in top scenes, finish detailing border leaves and roses

Day 4 cont. More clouds and shading

Day 4, finish base colors, continue shading, flowers and clouds in bottom scenes

Day 3  More base, some shading

Day 2, Gilding and base colors

Day 1, Gesso nightmares

Not to self: don't do another page like this is seven days. It is a terrible idea. Your hand hurts. Your back aches.  You are no longer 21 and can work for days on minimal sleep. You have a full time job. Knock it off already. Love, Reality.

Pantoum: Blossoms

Blossoms of orange scent the ink dark night,
Slip sweet as a lover through my window,
a languid kiss of spring and sugar.
Oh, how I have ached for this hour.

Slip, my sweet, as a lover through my window:
Your hands, your breath, your flesh
Oh, how I have ached for this hour.
My need, bare as a flower in the pale light.

Your hands, your breath, your flesh
I unfurl beneath each honeyed caress
My need, bare. A flower in the pale light
As blossoms of orange scent the ink dark night


Notes

So I noticed how long it has been since I have written any poetry and I was displeased with myself. I thought to take a line rattling in my head an use a poetic form to help me expand it. Pantoums are not especially easy so this might be not be the best route toward encouraging me to write again. What I love about pantoums is the repetition and the breathing of new meaning into the lines with each stanza.

I will probably work on this some more at another time as I am not entirely thrilled with this first foray back into poetic form.