[Ansteorra] Garb authenticity...

Michael Silverhands silverhands at sbcglobal.net
Wed Sep 20 11:16:30 PDT 2006


On Sep 20, 2006, at 12:37 PM, Lori Campbell wrote:

> We should try to remember that we all play at different levels of
> authenticity and exercise tolerance for people who haven't progressed
> as far up the accuracy ladder. (note, I don't speak for myself here -
> the only authentic garb I own is stuff others made for me).
>

"Up the accuracy ladder" or maybe "out on the accuracy limb" would at  
times be more accurate. :-)

> The tendency of non-academically oriented newcomers (i.e. most of  
> them)
> is to start with good intentions and small pocketbooks. I know I did.
> If there was a thistle for garb made with period patterns and
> non-period material, I'd have it. :)
>
> The way some of this discussion has gone, newcomers might get the idea
> that we have authenticity nazis hiding behind every bush, just waiting
> to rake newcomers over the coals.
>

*gasp!* You mean... we dont?!

(just kidding...)

> That just isn't the case.  Occasionally our accuracy enthusiasts do
> offer advice on garb, but hopefully they do it in such a way that the
> recipient feels their efforts up to that point are respected.
>

You said the magic word: "feels". It's all about perception vs. reality.

It's like that cartoon which I think is called "He said / she said",  
which usually has two panels. The first one is what was actually  
said, and the second one is what was heard. Like "Honey, what's for  
dinner?", heard as "I want you to drop everything you're doing right  
this instant and cater to my every whim!"

Many of us wear our feelings on our sleeves. This seems especially  
true of newcomers who are often seeking our approval and are  
sometimes oversensitive to even well-intentioned criticism; but they  
certainly don't hold a monopoly on it.

> The few who are... less than tactful... are very much the  
> minority.  In
> almost 20 years I've yet to meet even one (did I mention that I've  
> worn
> some horribly inaccurate garb?).
>
> If you do happen to have an unfortunate run-in with someone who missed
> the courtesy bus (or - more likely - someone with more enthusiasm  
> about
> period costuming than tact), please don't consider them representative
> of our society.  For every one tale told of a newcomer being  
> waylaid by
> someone rude, there is likely to be at least a hundred others where  
> one
> was encouraged and led along a gentler path.  Or so I'd like to
> believe.
>
> - Kat MacLochlainn
>

Another wonderful word choice: "more enthusiasm than tact". Wow, do  
we have a lot of those! :-)

But the key is the same: *try* to offer critique only when invited to  
do so. (By the way: entering a piece in an A&S competition is an  
invitation to do so.) And then *try* to show at least as much tact as  
enthusiasm. And if the person to whom you're offering this helpful  
advice doesn't seem interested in what you're trying to tell them,  
then *try* to realize that it's their life, not yours... and let them  
be.

On the other foot, *try* to accept critique when it's offered, and  
don't automatically assume that it's criticism (in the general sense)  
or meant to be critical of *you, personally*. And if you *feel* that  
you're being offered more criticism than helpful advice, then *try*  
to keep it in perspective and look for the nugget of useful  
information that lies buried in the other stuff.

Michael Silverhands



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