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A couple of long threads here (Timi's & Rob's) have me thinkin about this thing we call the Letterhead Spirit. Joey brought it right to the top with his reply to Rob's post. I think it's very hard to describe Spiritual things but very easy to recognize their presence by example.
I've been to 3 letterhead meets over the past 8 years. The first was in Cincinnati and was a huge event that intimidated me to no end, I was gaga for three days.
But I was a "fly on the wall"; not really taking part. I met Bill Masters there, swapped stories bout the billboard biz. (Bill's a helluva pictoral painter!)
But the real letterhead spirit came thru at Steve Este's walldog meet. I worked on a mural there that was created by Robin & Tom Siebert. Tom spent two days talking (as we worked) to me about how I did this,how I did that, etc. He made me feel incredibly welcome, I was a part of the project! A week or so after I was back from that meet, my issue of Sign Business arrived. Tom had a 9 page spread/article in the mag! His work just blew my doors off, and just days before he'd been striving to learn more about how to master the craft! From me no less. I've never seen Tom post here; but for me, he enbodies the Letterhead Spirit.
How bout you, what experience have you had the illustrates the Letterhead Spirit?
-------------------- Bill Dirkes Cornhole Art LLC Bellevue, Ky. Goodnight Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.
Posts: 591 | From: Bellevue,Ky. US | Registered: Aug 1999
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For me it would have to be the overall acceptance on this board. When I first found it, I sat back for quite some time, signed up then still hesitated. Finally I wrote a post....a question that had been flogged to death (I later discovered in the archives). No-one knew me at all and yet everyone welcomed me and gave me 'straight up' advice. I have a great deal of respect for people that actually say what they think.Also the commitment by most to give of their experience freely. Just tonight I was rehashing an article on the signcraft site it shows what I think the true Letterhead Spirit to be; "how many wonderful, talented people there are in the world I make a concentrated effort to attend at least two or three meets a year, and always return home motivated and inspired The joy of sharing I am more than willing to share every technique, special effect, and concept that I utilize in my work with anyone who is interested .I’ve done several workshops because I believe that one of the greatest things you can do during the course of your lifetime is to teach others how to do something that will be a benefit to them. I don’t fret about creating competition I carry an inner confidence that I will always have my share of the pie. That is sufficient for me People not connected to the sign industry say that I shouldn’t show others how I make my old wood signs. I just smile and tell them that everything I ever learned, I learned from someone else. When we want to keep our knowledge to ourselves, we become narrow-minded selfish, and not very focused" Quoted from; Dennis Gerathy. It is prescisely this mindset or spirit that made me come back again and again!
-------------------- Linda Seymour Bundaberg, Q.L.D Australia
"DARE!" Signage of Distinction Bundaberg freeloner2001@dingoblue.net.au Posts: 94 | From: Q.L.D Australia | Registered: Jan 2001
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When I was a sign student at LA Trade-Tech in '75 Ralph "Doc" Guthrie, who was a former student, invited us to attend meetings that he and a few other alumni were holding from time to time in their homes. Only two of us newbies ever went to them, but they were very intense on shop talk, problem discussion/solving, business methods, war stories, etc. There were always pictures handed around and as a student, even though I'd been painting signs a few years my work was pretty shabby back then, and I was edgy about showing my stuff. Everybody else's work looked impossibly good. But when I did I got constructive criticism and encouragement! I was welcomed to the fold to my great surprise. No money was exchanged except to send out for pizza.
Sometimes we did a workshop, or went on a field trip to somebody's shop and watched a real pro do his thing. One of the shops that welcomed us in was Bob Bond's place, and Bob striped Doc's truck whilst we all watched. I think we learned as much at these events as we did in school. As we each graduated and had shops of our own we hosted meets, and encouraged our competition to attend and show their talents or even what they had to sell. Turned out a group of guys in Denver were doing likewise...only they got noticed. We didn't have a name for ourselves, though and eventually drifted away from the meets, something I'd like to start up again in the L.A. area. Small meets.
Doc is now the instructor at LATT's Sign Graphics class and wants to have an annual gathering at the school, but I think it will be too big and crowded to do much but gab. ____
Here's where I may catch some flak; I, too, feel as Dennis Gerathy does that the enjoyment of teaching and sharing is the good part. There are some that want to profit from their demos, some that want to make a killing off each other. These are talented people that seem to be making a decent living in their trade - but sometimes I look at what they want to show and compare to what they want to charge for it - they look like predators to me. It's one thing to try and get your expenses paid, but, to me, much beyond that crosses the line of the LetterHead Spirit.
In July of 2000 the 25th anniversary of the LetterHeads meet was held in Boise and I don't know if any of the people who came to teach a class got any of their money back. Maybe for materials, a few meals were comped, but I'm sure they didn't profit.
O.K., flame on...
[ January 13, 2002: Message edited by: Mike Languein ]
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For me the Letterhead spirit is of course the meets, but also the small things. The email of fellow and fellowette sign makers from around the world introducing themselves. The phone calls from many. The time Steve and Barb called it blew me away. This BB is a very special place full of very special caring people. Mike Languein, when we were looking at all your sign books and I was sharing my old sign book, outside in California was the true Letterhead spirit. Here we are looking over fonts and beautiful old signs on the tail gate of your car that you had painted up camouflage! And inside the meet everyone is sharing their stories and showing their techniques amongst the smells of one shot and gold size. I would love to get together once a week with fellow signmakers who have a desire to learn new tricks and just get together for fun like I read some do. What a great idea. That to me is the Letterhead spirit! Sharing and getting together for the fun, companionship, and bettering of our skills.
Posts: 3729 | From: Seattle | Registered: Sep 1999
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I believe that many persons that visit here have to opportunity to learn and further the existance in a craft they haven chosen. Without this site many persons would have been lost and left to learn little from those who have lived this craft most of their lives. This is a two part system, one of which that can teach and one of which can learn. Letterville brought this system to the people, through the internet, and with it came some persons who may never had the opportunity to meet others who have the same interests. The one thing that bothers me is why some persons demand that their work be done for them through Letterville as if another persons work time is worthless and as far as being a true Letthead, I still don't have a clue to what it really means.
The original Letterheads shared amongst themselves, all six or seven of them, not two thousand persons with several hundred looking for a free ride arguing whether or not to become residents on a surrealistic website. A site where only a small percentage takes advantage of its perks other then getting answers to things they need immediately without taking to opportunity to familiarize themselves with all aspects of what they are really in business as, signmakers.
As far as the true meaning of Letterheads, I'm still somewhat stumped but I do offer my expertise in what little I know.
-------------------- HotLines Joey Madden - pinstriping since 1952 'Perfection, its what I look for and what I live for'
I know as a result of this 'Letterhead Spirit' I have found direction and guidance for my career as well as my life....doors have opened for me that I never dreamed would come my way.
I feel more at home with this bunch than with my own family.
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