Young American Bonsai Apprentice ?

[Michael P]

I know grownups who spent 4 and years learning in college stuff they never used but I feel like bonsai can help me with creative jobs and landscaping! But thanks !

My undergraduate degree is in psychology. Then I worked in medical research for 5 years before I started graduate school to study landscape architecture, my profession and passion for the last 42 years. Do I wish I had found it earlier? Of course! Sometimes people ask me if that time in psychology and medicine was a waste. No! To a surprising degree, I use what I learned in those disciplines almost every day. Education is never a waste for the open and curious mind.

 

[Njyamadori]

I sent Cameron Carlson(Esei En Apprentice) a message along with questions and he sent me a long response! If you know his story he actually haven’t been in the hobby for a long time but got to know Bjorn by taking classes . One of my questions is how is the Everyday life feel like there and he said it’s like the Disney World of American bonsai and that he loves it . I thought he was gonna say how hard and stressful it is . He then told me some good advice .
It was cool talking to him and I showed him the material I have now . It helped me understand what I would need to do to be an apprentice!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Don't let anyone squash your dreams no matter how reasonable their arguments might be.
Most people here wish they had done what you are contemplating my young friend.

Instead, prove them wrong. But reasonably, a person should be able to take care of himself and at least have a backup plan.
Times have changed.. A doctorate degree doesn't always allow you to work in that field, and the time of showing up at a factory in a suit with a resumé in your hands is long past.
I've had this discussion with my dad who's in his sixties.. I was jobless for about 6 months last year, and he kept insisting I should just show up somewhere and offer to work for them. I showed him my 286 rejection letters; I was either too highly educated, not educated enough, or just didn't fit the type of work because I didn't have experience.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I sent Cameron Carlson(Esei En Apprentice) a message along with questions and he sent me a long response! If you know his story he actually haven’t been in the hobby for a long time but got to know Bjorn by taking classes . One of my questions is how is the Everyday life feel like there and he said it’s like the Disney World of American bonsai and that he loves it . I thought he was gonna say how hard and stressful it is . He then told me some good advice .
It was cool talking to him and I showed him the material I have now . It helped me understand what I would need to do to be an apprentice!

You made the right move, assess and if appropriate, follow Cameron's suggestions. You might contact other bonsai professionals too. The bonsai community of professionals is not that large. Use your outgoing personality to get to know as many of the working professionals as you can. Networking works, as the conversation you started with Cameron proves. Follow your passion.

 

[Njyamadori]

Hey guys quick update and I got to message Bjorn and asked him a few questions. One of the questions is would he ever get another apprentice (yes I know that’s something weird to say) and he responded with “I might be in need of an apprentice at some point, so definitely contact me in the future if that is something you'd like to pursue.”. Atleast I know that he would maybe be looking for a apprentice and he’s not in complete denial. So I will definitely see about that if I’m still into bonsai or anything related.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Hey guys quick update and I got to message Bjorn and asked him a few questions. One of the questions is would he ever get another apprentice (yes I know that’s something weird to say) and he responded with “I might be in need of an apprentice at some point, so definitely contact me in the future if that is something you'd like to pursue.”. Atleast I know that he would maybe be looking for a apprentice and he’s not in complete denial. So I will definitely see about that if I’m still into bonsai or anything related.

Great news, definitely stay in touch with Bjorn, Cameron and other contacts you make in the future.

Who knows what life will bring. You might get distracted from bonsai by other endeavors, new hobbies, new passions, or friendships. For a while when I was in my 20's every chance I got I was off canoeing one river or another, sometimes week long trips on the water. Trees were not getting watered when I was not home. There was a time where I was actually had my canoe out on partially frozen rivers, one year I was canoeing in December, and January and February. Busting through ice with my paddle. Then I hit my middle 30's and it made MUCH more sense to be by a warm fire with a bourbon on the rocks, than out in the snow and ice with my canoe. I haven't picked up a paddle in maybe 10 years now. Life changes.

You can always come back to bonsai if you have to set it aside for college or other activities

 

[Arlithrien]

Wow. Your experience with the opposite gender, I'm going to go out on a limb and say, is not normal. Most humans pass through adolescence without being corrupted by the opposite sex, which is even just a weird sentence to have to type, just fine.

The phrase "sex sells" is a real thing. And teens are infamous for being driven by their hormones and making stupid decisions because of it. That was my interpretation of that post, anyhow.

 

[Arlithrien]

Hey fellow bonsai nuts , some may know me here and most probably don’t . I’m currently 14 years old and still don’t know what I want to do in the future . A bonsai apprentice is a possible choice if I still have the passion in 4 years and know it’s something I’m always gonna be into. If so I would love to be an apprentice at Esei - En or Miria . Esei en would be at my top of my list since I’m more into Bjorns work , his nursery is closer to NJ than Oregon , and Bjorn already sent me ito whips for a gift . Japan would be way out of my way and I wouldn’t bother to go there . I want to hear people’s ideas/recommendations/hate mail/ or anything you guys would want to tell me or ask me !

Bjorn started bonsai at a young age too, if I remember from his videos. There's something about finding your passion so early on and knowing that you want to commit your life to it, just having that immediate assuredness of where you want to go, that I envy.

I agree with your sentiment as a US easterner, learning from Bjorn would be an honor. I hope to at least take some classes at his nursery one day.

 

[Shogun610]

Good luck .. you’ll never know who you meet in this forum either … you might work with them someday too. Use your proximity, get some years under your belt, then hit up Bjorn in the future again.

 

[caffeinated]

The phrase "sex sells" is a real thing. And teens are infamous for being driven by their hormones and making stupid decisions because of it. That was my interpretation of that post, anyhow.

I understand and completely agree with your sentiment. Making stupid decisions and being a corrupted person, fouled because you are attracted to someone are worlds apart though.

 

[Wood]

However both [Ryan Neil] and Bjorn paved the way for Americans to be accepted into Japanese apprenticeships

This is being a little pedantic, but Kathy Shaner was the first US apprentice in Japan, and she lead an evolution of bonsai in the US afterwards. Her contribution really shouldn't be forgotten, even if it's not as well known

 

[Lutonian]

This is being a little pedantic, but Kathy Shaner was the first US apprentice in Japan, and she lead an evolution of bonsai in the US afterwards. Her contribution really shouldn't be forgotten, even if it's not as well known

I thought John Naka was born in USA moved back to Japan as a kid, learnt bonsai then moved back to USA. So he was a American too unless you don't mean American but of white European decent? There quite a few Americans who have contributed too bonsai in the USA and the world beyond bjorn and Ryan. I haven't even mentioned Bill. V another well respected excellence American master bonsai. There is a wealth of talent in usa and has been for a long time due to your association/relationship and proximity to japan.

 

[amcoffeegirl]

Are you in high school? In my local area we had a trade school option as part of the curriculum. I chose photography. In 11th and 12th grade I had photography and photo journalism for most of the day. If they have this in your area you could take horticulture classes as part of your high school credits.
Do you have a local bonsai club in your area?
Any local bonsai studios or nurseries?

 

[Paradox]

This is being a little pedantic, but Kathy Shaner was the first US apprentice in Japan, and she lead an evolution of bonsai in the US afterwards. Her contribution really shouldn't be forgotten, even if it's not as well known

My comment was not meant to belittle anyone nor take away from any other American Bonsai artist. I was not aware that Kathy had actually been an apprentice in Japan. She was fortunate that whomever she studied with had an open mind to accept not only a foreigner but also a woman.

However it is true that it is not as well known as Ryan's struggle to get accepted by Kimura as an apprentice which he finally won.

For those that don't know. It was once commonly believed by Japanese masters that Americans could not succeed to become bonsai masters because of lack of discipline and inability to stick it out for all the years required.

After Ryan's success, and the fact that Japanese youth weren't becoming interested in bonsai in enough numbers, masters became more open to the idea of foreign born apprentices

 

[Wood]

My comment was not meant to belittle anyone nor take away from any other American Bonsai artist. I was not aware that Kathy had actually been an apprentice in Japan. She was fortunate that whomever she studied with had an open mind to accept not only a foreigner but also a woman.

However it is true that it is not as well known as Ryan's struggle to get accepted by Kimura as an apprentice which he finally won....

I didn't think you were trying to belittle Kathy! Just was trying to point it out that Ryan wasn't the first, just the one with the best marketing. He's mentioned a handful of times on his podcast how crucial Kathy was for breaking the ice and making it possible for other apprentices

 

[Njyamadori]

Are you in high school? In my local area we had a trade school option as part of the curriculum. I chose photography. In 11th and 12th grade I had photography and photo journalism for most of the day. If they have this in your area you could take horticulture classes as part of your high school credits.
Do you have a local bonsai club in your area?
Any local bonsai studios or nurseries?

Next year I will be attending high school. I believe trade school is only for the last 2 years of high school . I technically have a local bonsai club but someone told me that it’s more a hangout club than bonsai ! There is a nursery about 1 hour and 30 plus minutes away so nothing close .

 

[amcoffeegirl]

Next year I will be attending high school. I believe trade school is only for the last 2 years of high school . I technically have a local bonsai club but someone told me that it’s more a hangout club than bonsai ! There is a nursery about 1 hour and 30 plus minutes away so nothing close .

Try to get most of the mandatory credits knocked out in your first two years- then you will be able to attend the trade school in the final years. I seriously took all photo classes my senior year except government and economics my first semester. Then I graduated in January.