[Ansteorra] Documentation: was my take on past and future of A&S

Mon Nov 26 07:52:06 PST 2012

In my opinion, documentation serves two major functions: 1) it allows a
judge to know that *you* know what you've done and have sought to reproduce
historical methods and materials (or appropriate performance criteria), and
2) it educates your judge so that s/he has a better chance of accurately
scoring your entry (sad but true, your entry will not always be judged by
an expert in your discipline). Reading the judging forms will let you know
what is currently deemed important.  I highly recommend following the
judging form as an outline.

A third possible reason is to keep your own record of historical sources,
methods and materials.

If you are not interested in competing, don't worry about 1 or 2.
Competition is only one way - and perhaps the least important way - to
celebrate and strut your talents (even if you are striving to climb the
laurel food chain, competition is still only one of many ways your work can
become known).

Those who use their talents in non-competitive venues enrich the ambiance
for all of us.  To you, I offer my gratitude.

~ihon, OL

One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested."

— E. M. Forster

On Mon, Nov 26, 2012 at 9:04 AM, Tina Michael <tinabetta at gmail.com> wrote:

> I hated doing documentation while I was in school and even though I do a
> varied array of artistic endeavors I hate to have to sit and write down how
> I did it. I just gather up my stuff and start cutting, or beading or
> painting or dreaming up something new to amuse. Sometimes I don't know
> where I learned to do what I am doing, I just do it. That is pretty hard to
> document....
>
> Tina
>
> On Sun, Nov 25, 2012 at 8:28 PM, Jeffrey Clark <jmclark85 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Duchess Willow,
> >
> > I think that documentation is a wonderful thing. I think that the stress
> > should be on effort, research, and artistic development. We nurse a
> "sheep
> > to shawl" mentality in A&S and we might do well to limit our scope in
> > judging and discussing A&S items: if someone is working on a particular
> > type of book binding, and they don't necessarily use period materials,
> but
> > they are using a period technique... how relevant is the use of the
> modern
> > material? In fact, that might be a good point of documentation -- how the
> > use of modern items affects a period craft...
> >
> > I think the use of documentation encourages people to learn about how
> their
> > craft was done in period and to put it into perspective, I think the
> focus
> > on scope might be a better discussion.
> >
> > --AS Zorzi
> >
> > On Sun, Nov 25, 2012 at 4:44 PM, willowdewisp at juno.com <
> > willowdewisp at juno.com> wrote:
> >
> > > A&S in Ansteorra back in the Ancient times<?xml:namespace prefix = o
> ns =
> > > "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
> > > Duchess Willow de Wisp.2012
> > > The A& S was a lot different 15- years ago. All of us were together to
> > > improve A&S in the Kingdom and to make learning enjoyable. We
> understood
> > > that the SCA was entertainment. We also understood that we needed to
> > > provide a system:
> > > ·        That provided the teaching that allow the populace a way to
> get
> > > the skills they needed to make the things needed for the SCA,
> > > ·        Encourage research for the love of research
> > > ·        Set up activities that increased the populaces understanding
> of
> > > the cultures of the time period we are studying
> > > ·         to provide recognition at all levels.
> > >
> > > The leadership in the kingdom viewed the Kingdom as a whole and events
> as
> > > the end product. The most important thing A&S was to do was to make the
> > SCA
> > > better, more fun, more period and in general have Magic.  Competitions
> > were
> > > used to promote this goal and were not an end all in themselves.
> > >
> > > Since the War we have spent a lot of our effort in beating the
> > Trimirians.
> > > Everything we do is to promote a competition that has five champions
> and
> > > our friendly enemies are not happy with. I would think that we should
> be
> > > thinking about ways to make learning fun.
> > >
> > >  I have talked to many people who did not join the SCA and I discovered
> > > that they got the impression that you have to everything “right” with
> > > emphasis on expensive materials. This made the SCA to expensive and to
> > nik
> > > picking to be fun. If they wanted or could spend a lot of money they
> > could
> > > do the Ren faires and if they want to be nik picking they could do the
> > > Civil War or Victorian groups where there are better learning venues.
> > >
> > > Many adults who are and have just finished college really do not want
> to
> > > take classes and tired to death with writing. In the past 10 years we
> > have
> > > done little that seems not to stress those two things. I have seen
> groups
> > > having competitions that call for non-period items and that is a
> > start,but
> > > I think we need to think about having our “Period” competitions with
> less
> > > stress over documentation.  I would like to see competitions that allow
> > for
> > > the 3by5 documentation and a lot of “one to one” feedback with the
> > artisan
> > > and judge. We need A&S that spans the levels of our artisans and
> > craftsmen.
> > > We need to encourage without competition.
> > >
> > > I do not care what it takes to “win” at Gulf War. I was told at the
> last
> > > Kingdom A&S that we are not allowed to talk to artisans one to one
> > because
> > > that would give the artisan too much help and he would not be allowed
> to
> > > talk to the judge at Gulf War. I was explaining to the artisan how I
> > judged
> > > and how the judging form shaped what I was looking at. Do the problems
> > with
> > > people feeling upset about judges I have sworn an oath to always talk
> to
> > > people I judge.
> > > Tthat aside that way of looking at things is a great change from 15
> years
> > > ago when we chose our Champions and everyone then jumped in and helped
> > them
> > > learn how to write documentation.
> > >
> > > In the past we believed that process of A&S in the SCA followed this
> > > pattern
> > > 1.      first thing was that the person learned about a period art or
> > > Science
> > > 2.      then they would take that learning and make something
> > > 3.      then they would improve on how they used the techniques and
> made
> > >  that something well a
> > > 4.      Then the person would write down the research so we could add
> > that
> > > research into the common knowledge.
> > > 5.      After they had gathered the knowledge and could show the skill
> > the
> > > person would go and teach it to someone else.
> > > It was by that process people would interact and learning would take
> > place
> > > and people would be happier and the SCA would grow. Because the stress
> > was
> > > on sharing knowledge not competition new people were looked on as an
> > > opportunity to teach not a threat.
> > >
> > > I gathering ways we promoted learning in the past without classes,
> > > competition or written documentation. If you have a fun way to learn
> > please
> > > post it to  me.
> > > ____________________________________________________________
> > > Woman is 53 But Looks 25
> > > Mom reveals 1 simple wrinkle trick that has angered doctors...
> > > http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/50b29f96ba6ff1f9618abst01vuc
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>
>
>
> --
> Any day above ground is a good day!
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