Feeling overwhelmed?

[Red Badger]

this was the subject of a post the sister site and I thought it was of enough importance to bring it to this campfire....

The person who posted was feeling overwhelmed with all the choices once they had the bug.... things like, what do I do next, how can I decide which path to take, etc. The post itself was:

Does everyone feel like jumpin in with both feet when they catch the fever for all this, out of the fry pan into the fire. I look at all the post and want it all now but have no clue and little funds to do that right now...............I can't wait to start having fun.

here is my answer:

I know I did and with the help of some now very dear friends I was cautioned to go slow and take my time... one thing at a time I heard those words a lot, when I started... Now 6 months later I see the wisdom of what they said...

I found my persona and studied what I wanted to do with this character, and though some combination of good luck in the give away's, and asking questions which allowed some members to offer me trades/sales for items from my time period, have almost all I need to portray my Gt. Gt. Gt. Gt. Grandfather...

This is not only a hobby it becomes a way of life we set for ourselves.. There is way to much speculation and not enough hard fact written to be able to just copy what we want... a lot of it is investigation and then attempting to duplicate items or experiences which will point us in the direction of getting it just right.... things like oh, not carrying my .54 hawkins rifle because percussion caps had not been invented yet, or wearing a colonial waistcoat and knee britches in 1800-1820 Wisconsin area because it wasn't in fashion at that time or place....

Many things are not mentioned in the chronicles of old because they were thought to be commonplace or "taboo"... like we don't have any real historical data on wether the mountain men used undergarments etc... so we have to decide what would have been available and then adapt it for that use... or decide to forgo it altogether...

For me this is not so much a hobby anymore. I have the bug and am getting into what they call living archeology - trying to do things they way they would have been done back then and without the aid of modern items..... Baker said in one of his books something to the effect of: when did going out into the woods become roughing it? leaving all the inventions of the modern world behind ?

I like the challenge this presents and will continue to refine my character as long as I need to... one step at a time... with the help of various books and literature and the fine folks on this and other sites who will answer my questions and give me advice gained from their own experiences...

Now I'd like you to share your own thoughts to help this person and all the others who will be in the same predicament in the future...!

[pathfinder]

It is very addicting and easy to go over board when first getting into the game. thankfully,the group of folks I started with were very knowledgeable and patient with my enthusiasm. do go slow and don't focus so much on having a perfect persona as have good period gear. I rarely see folks at shoots who are 100% correct in their time period(if they have one), but all have really good gear. The fine points can be refined as you go along. If you cant afford the best,try to fashion it yourself,may not be perfect,but you made it and it's yours. Remember,the stuff in museums were the top drawer stuff that was used infrequently(for the most part) and a lot of stuff was homemade and of average quality.
There are many levels of authenticity from the K-Mart types to the John Curry and Mark Bakers(both excellent authors). We all started somewhere and that was the beginning. Observe and ask questions,most of us can't shut up once we start talking!

[voyageur1688]

  I agree with Pathfinder.
Voy

[Micanopy]

I keep it simple as I can;
Fotshotkee (Long Shirt) Two different ones, depending on the weather.
1 inside shirt, again, 2 different ones depending on the weather
Leggins and clot or full buckskin pants
head cloth or turban
Moccasins
rifle, knife,horn, and bag

Fits the persona of a Mikasuki warrior during all three seminole wars.
Been my observation that people can drive themselves insane over this,

[Beau48]

I go slow not only cause I want to but have to, have found that the more I read and ask gives me much more pleasure and understanding,plus the fact of doing it all pretty much myself is gratifying to say the least.

[Micanopy]

True that. We have to walk before we can run.

[forrest]

 couch  Thats why I am taking my time this time. Yes I got into Muzzel loading a while back and all that goes with it tryed doing it all at once.
After many years, I'm going to take my time and study, and plan then just do as much as I can myself.

[Honovi Mahala]

I was the one that posted those particular statements. My reason was 1 because I was overwhelmed and I needed a starting point, the basics and where to go and what I would need on a very very limited budget......I am starting a journal about it all, and reading up on the topic. I want to be able to go to a rondy and not get kicked out cause I don't fit in. I am a hands on kinda person and I think a rondy is gonna be my best bet for some of the stuff. Pictures and readin are all fine and good and I do get lots of ideas but I think if I sit face to face and pick at someones brain about things I will not feel so out of my eliment or overwhelmed.
Y'all have been very very helpful and encouragin in this here endevour and I do appreciate it. So these are the 7 things I will be doing to get things right.
1. go slow
2. ask questions
3. do it yourself
4. read and study
5. ask questions
6. journal the info you gather
7. ask questions
And again I would like to thank everyone on the forum sites for all the knowledge they have imparted to me and for all that I will learn from here on out. After all you are never to old to keep learning

[old salt]

Honovi
One thing I would suggest is that you DO NOT take any one persons,
idea of historical correctness as being the gospel. Take what you are told
and check it against documentation and artist paintings of the time. Even thenyou are going to find some things that will be different.

Absolute historical correctness [if that is what you want ] is not imposable, but you will find it is going to take some time and work.
Most of the folks at 90% of the rendezvous you will go to will not claim
to be absolutely historically correct but close, as new information keeps
being discovered

I claim to be an amateur historian but with the new information that has
come to light I have given up trying to stay absolutely historically correct.
I am not trying to be a wet blanket, just letting you know about the project
you are starting, and that I will help you in any way I can.

The Old Salt

[voyageur1688]

 Being 100% historically accurate is not only difficult but is not as fun as having some free space to work with by basing your persona on a real person, but allowing yourself the freedom to choose different things for that character. If you are locked into being that person accurately you have no choice on how to act or react to a given situation.  My persona is based on my 7x great grandfather, but has let me have freedom to adapt it to my tastes and needs at the time.
The main thing is to have fun with it while staying somewhat accurate, and yet ,be yourself--or in some cases, be your alter ego.
Voy

[Red Badger]

I want to thank you for posting the original post.  It gave me food for thought and I thought it was important enough to bring to this site... I hope you approve of my actions for the reasons stated as I am sure you are not the only one who feels / felt that way.  i know I did when I started...

Jim

[russ]

Being 100% historically accurate is not only difficult but is not as fun as having some free space to work with by basing your persona on a real person,

If you are basing your historical image on a real person shouldn't you be as historically accurate as possible.
For me even the smallest imperfections in my kit make me cringe and will not attend an event unless I am able to correct deficiency.
The biggest deficiency in my impression is the lack of a ridding horse and a pack animal. Some times you have to make concessions.Mostly because I can not afford to board and feed a horse right now. Someday.

To each his own

[aka-kesler]

I have found that most reenactments are a learning -teaching experience. Therefore we all have a duty to inform ourselves about what time period we are portraying or are attempting to portray so when others ask questions about clothing, guns shelters etc. we can inform them what is correct ,what is acceptable ,and what we are doing with what we have. This means that all reenactors should strive for education first then use that knowledge to equip. ourselves and inform others as to what is right, or how to make something closer to the subject at hand. True we all have to start somewhere and I come from very humble beginnings myself. But I have also have seen alot of people turned off or clear away because others are not openminded enough to realize that all do not have the education nor budget to start at the top, and this is very sad to me, because like I said we all should welcome the greenhorns and flatlanders into the realm of what we do and why we do it.       My 2 cents

[old salt]

 

[voyageur1688]

  Russ,
There is a difference between being 100% accurate and being real here. If you are portraying someone and have been for say 5 years, then after all that time you discover this person just loved to eat deer brains or some such thing that you would find totally repulsive, would you then either start eating that and like it ? Would you switch your persona because of it? Or would you just let that bit go and continue on with that charactor without making that change  to it?
   Also, each event may have something happen that the real person had not encountered or no record of their reaction to it exists.
Do you see what I mean here? You should at least leave yourself some wiggle room in your persona.  Just because you are portraying that person, does not mean you have to be that person in every detail.
Voy