Shop Name: JimArnoldsChessSets
What you like to go by: Jim
When did you start your shop? I've only been on etsy since Feb 2011 and really didn't start promoting
it until June 11. I knew about etsy for years, but I didn't join
because they required a credit card upfront...I was an idiot, ha! I
should have joined five years ago...live and learn.
Is this your only job? Yes, I hand carve chess set for my living. I have been carving and
selling chess sets since 1996.
When did you realize you had this talent? Not
sure if 'talent' is the right word, but I started carving around the
age of 10, I saw my Dad carve a squirrel and thought it was the coolest
thing I had ever seen. I attempted a boat after watching him do the
squirrel and have had the bug ever since.
Where do you find your inspiration? Inspiration
comes in a couple forms. First, of course, is that I do custom work,
so my customers call the theme, I will make a chess set out of any idea
or theme proposed by my customers. Working together, one on one and
collaborating on a set is one of the most fun parts of my job. I'll
make sets based on 'their' interests, I'll sketch up some poses, suggest
characters, and we'll bounce the sketches back and forth until we
arrive with something nobody has
ever thought about before...the sets can be about their life, their
profession, their hobbies. Its an endless list and also means I don't
have to come up with the theme, they do that part for me. Chess is a
game of antagonists, in this world its too easy to come up with original
ideas along these lines. Anything goes, Cats versus Dogs, North versus
the South, any War, Hippies versus the Establishment I can make a
political statement, or I can make people laugh, or I can explore
something like the Egyptians, Namibia, or America's First Nations...the
latter teach visual lessons about different cultures...I enjoy those the
most, they require lots of research, lots of carving, and when they're
finished they are the ones that get the most compliments. I also enjoy
making sets from things that interest me in my life...sailing, music,
the ocean, I have lots of sets in those categories! My absolute
favorite sets are the ones that
I dream up while I'm sleeping. I learned long ago to keep a notepad
and pencil on the nightstand next to the bed. The sets that I have
'dreamed up' include The Samurai Chess Set (wonderful carving and live
bonsai and sand gardens included in the board), The War of 1812 Chess
Set, made up of two fighting ships, The USS Constitution and the HMS
Guerierre. The ships are all in one piece at the start of the game and
the ships break apart as you move the pieces during the course of the
game. The Scottish Wars for Independence set is another 'dream' set. I
awoke from 'seeing' it in my mind's eye and completely sketched out in
full detail the castle and all the pieces in about ten minutes, then
went back to sleep, the set is exactly as I saw it, and its one of my
best. These 'dream' sets have no boundary. They are huge (usually the
board starts at 36" square) and they're different from what you learned
how to play
with. The Train Robbery at Straker Flats Chess Set is another
example, when you play a game on these sets, you are instantly taken
back to a time when things were just plain fun to do. The latest of
these 'dream' sets is the Heaven versus Hell Chess Set, none of my
circle of friends like it so I know it will be a huge hit for me.
Intense religious carving, lots of good people and lots of very bad
people... a glass board, saints, demons everything, it will be my best
ever.
Who Has Been the Most Supportive of Your Work? There
has only been one supporter of my work from the very start. When I
first started this, I was pretty much the butt of jokes among my family
and friends. I was laughed at, I was continually asked when I was going
to grow up and get a real job. It was a very long and very hard road
to get to the point where I could say I do this for a living,
hundreds and hundreds of shows, years of hours spent online it seems,
my number one (and 'only' supporter from the start) was my Mom!
What is the one thing you would like to accomplish that you haven't yet? I'd
like to help chess get taught for credit in the school systems.
There's so much about the game that can be applied to everyday life,
kids that know how to play the game do better in life and that's a
fact. People like Susan Polgar (former world #1) have dedicated their
lives to this cause and its a good one. Her program is the best, its
the SPICE program and you can check out the specifics at @SusanPolgar on
Twitter for details on bringing chess accreditation to your schools.
Already in many schools, 'study hall' has been replaced with chess
lessons, time to kick that up a notch and give students credit for it.
Thanks for asking that question,
Michelle!
What are your words to live by or your favorite quote? Too
many, my Dad had some for every occasion, he was an original, but my
favorite is from my Grandfather. His best line, and wonderful words to
live by, was, "What You Can't Hold in Your Hands, You Can't Hold"
