You ever get bowyers block?

[Eric Krewson]

I have made one or more of about everything over the years and currently have 5 or 6 unfinished projects that I can't get motivated to finish.

Does this happen to you guys? When I was much younger I was always excited about starting or finishing a new bow.

[FilipT]

Oh yeah. At one moment last year I got so much inspiration from this forum and I started at the same time several flatbow and longbow projects that all failed. I simply couldn't concentrate or be motivated for one specific project and gods of bowyering got their revenge by sabotaging all projects.
Currently I will make one longbow this month and maybe, just maybe one another until the end of year. Better than stamping bows 24/7 without having any emotional connection with them.

[Del the cat]

I don't often have more than one on the go.
Del

[Morgan]

Definitely, but for different reasons than yourself. When I first started making bows I was at about 40% success rate then I got on a streak where every stave I touched turned into an acceptable bow by my standards, a streak of 12 or 14 bows I think. Then I entered this years trade and can’t seem to squeeze out an acceptable bow. Had 3 or maybe 4 that we’re quite sub par, I think I’m on one that’s gonna work now but it has played hell on my motivation.

[DC]

In the middle of a lull right now. I still putter around the shop and I'm working on an OS at the moment but the excitement just ain't there. Just waiting for a new idea or method to hit. DWS's tillering method is what got me going on the OS.

[Pat B]

I'm trying to work my way out of it now. I always seem to have an excuse. 

[Dances with squirrels]

I'm in a lull now, have several started of wide variety, just no inspiration to finish them. I'm getting revved up for some longrifle work though 

[DC]

I wonder if it's the summer? I know the summer months tend to make me want to take it easy. I could just be getting old. Oh. Wait. I am getting old.

[gifford]

Well, I've got several bows "in process" as I call it. I will move one along for a while, then work on another for a while.

Now I've got two osage and two black locust splits to add to the mix. The osage are several years old, the black locust are from early summer of this year, courtesy of a highly localized wind storm.

[meanewood]

I have found myself in this situation for a different reason.

About 9 months ago I had no seasoned stave's ready to go, so I started to reduce and rough out stave's to keep me going and hurry the drying process along a bit.

Doing this was all well and good but it has created a bit of a disconnect with the normal excitement you get when starting a new bow and seeing it through to the finished thing.

I now have about 8 bows ready to tiller but I can't help looking at the other stave's I have and my desire seems to be directed to them!

I think I got lost in a processing mentality that a professional would have to bow making and it's not the same.

One thing for sure, the next stave I pick up will start and finish in the usual way, It's much more fun that way!

[DC]

I tried working on more than one bow and ended up finishing 4 bows the same day. needless to say 2 or 3 of them never got shot much at all. Now it's one at a time.

[osage outlaw]

I haven't finished a bow in over a year.  It's not due to a block but rather a lack of time.  Seems like too many other jobs and projects are more important.

[Hawkdancer]

I just have my first one in the ready to finish shooting in 200-300 arrows stage.  It appears that life just keeps throwing things in the way to distract my attention, i.e. Which crisis do I deal with first!  My biggest problem is going to be getting staves ready to rough out and learning how to chase a ring on the Osage!  But I think I have the finish decoration pattern worked out, and the paint will work!
Hawkdancer

[Mark Smeltzer]

I always have 4 or 5 bows in the works and when I get a block with one I move on to another one for a while.

[Pappy]

Ya it happen's to me a lot, I have at least 6 laying across my couch in the cabin anywhere from tillered and ready to put the finish on to floor tiillered  and a barrel full in the wood shop in different stages, always working with folks working on bows but can't seem to get any of mine finished. Thank goodness I have plenty to shoot.
 Pappy