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Why does nobody talk about the move from shop apprentices to solo learners in glassblowing?
I learned by shadowing a veteran who would correct my stance at the bench for hours. These days, most starters pick up skills from internet clips in their own spaces. That constant, on-the-spot guidance seems rare now, and I think it shapes how techniques are passed down. Do you find your learning path has shifted too?
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simon2226mo ago
Yeah, that shift is real. Watching a clip can't fix your posture when you're off balance at the bench, or tell you your pipe is turning too fast just by the sound. You miss those instant corrections, like a nudge on your elbow or a tip on reading the heat. Videos are great for the basics, but the real craft lived in that back and forth. It definitely changes how the deep knowledge gets passed along.
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iris_baker476mo ago
Six years ago my local shop took on two apprentices, but now they say they can't afford the lost work time. I mean when shops are just trying to stay open, teaching someone for three years isn't a smart business move, it's a cost. So the whole path into the craft gets reshaped by who can pay for classes or set up a home studio first, not just who is keen to learn. It changes the kind of people who even get to try, maybe more hobbyists and fewer career makers. Idk, that shift in who can afford to start might matter just as much as how they learn.
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iris_baker476mo ago
Actually, that hands-on learning isn't completely gone. It's just moved to shorter workshops instead of years-long shop apprenticeships. You can still get your elbow nudged, just for a weekend.
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