A serious discussion about building intrest in bonsai for the 15-35 crowd

ConorDash said:
I started at 24, I'm 25 now. I find many are interested when seeing great bonsai trees and wanna try, just don't end up doing it.
Social picture sharing site called imgur, people like bonsai when it pops up and it's a common comment that people put, saying they always wanted to try.

But it takes a lot of time and patience and most aren't willing to do that.
Click to expand...

Sadly true, a big share of the younger crowd are all about instant gratification and there really is no changing that. But there is still a segment of that age bracket that understand the concept of working towards something and appreciate the long term success.
 
As the mother of a kid in this age group who is interested in bonsai, I'll toss out the things I've seen her struggle with.

A concise web site of techniques, terminology and different species care. Yes the info is out there but its scattered around. For a young person with a full time job and in a new romantic relationship, she doesn't have time to hunt down multiple websites for the info she needs. I see most senior members recommending books but lets get real here, the younger generation doesn't want info in book for they want it online. I would love to see a website geared towards beginners with a TON of simple info and species care. I still struggle with timing of airlayers
Keep it simple for newbies. They don't know what a candle is or how to decandle a pine so of course they have no idea what to do with that new pine they just bought so they kill the poor thing. I see this in videos too, very little actual explanations in laymens terms.

Prices of pre bonsai material. DD has been looking for something decent that she can develop herself but everything is crazy expensive or hard to find. Keep in mind, for a youngster, $100 can be insanely expensive. The people who have decent material for good prices don't advertise or have a regular website to purchase from. You have to hunt them down on FB and only after someone gives you their name.

For sale material of airlayers or dug material for $50 or so would be perfect for newbies or for parents buying them for younger children. This could be added to the above mentioned website. I know there are lots of places you can buy beginner bonsai but most of them are crap and you know it.

Advertising, like those annoying little banners on top of this page but on websites younger people might be on. FB and youtube are great places to advertise, so are virtual pet websites. If you don't know what virtual pets are check out aywas.com or flightrising.com, these are filled with 20 year olds, a great target range.

Simpler youtube videos. don't just show a juniper getting pinched and wired, explain why you are pinching this and not that or why you are bending that branch down and not up and keep it professional. No one wants to hear your life story or about "this one time" and lay off the music, instructional videos need to be narrated, not a jam session.

Local bonsai workshops would be wonderful but I realize that can't be done everywhere. Many places do not have bonsai experts or schools but maybe a chain store would be willing to host some kind of event once a year. Say select home depot has a sale on prebonsai material along with a free cds/pamplets with basic info and a link to a website, said website would need to be the ones supplying the trees. of course.

Some kind of a kids day at larger bonsai shows. They could learn basic care for potted trees and buy reasonably priced trees in silly pots, spongebob or something like that. Have some contests for free trees, quizes would be good. Kids could get rewarded while learning proper care. Do a lot of local advertising for the bring a kid to the bonsai show and win a tree.

I think there is interest in bonsai but it's such a hard hobby to get into and fairly expensive. Make it easier to learn and cheaper to begin will go a long ways.
 
My niece is 31 years old and is a manager for test writing and testing English as a second language in Japan. The company she works for is a partner with the Japanese Ministry of Education. She has lived in Japan for 7 years now. Including junior year of college. She started taking Japanese as a language in high school, so she could watch Japanese anime in the original Japanese, instead of the English translations.

I think a tie in through Japanese anime would be a good way to get exposure to the age group you are looking to capture.
 
I hear this question asked in another hobby of mine, falconry. there are many of the same issues getting into falconry as getting into bonsai. significant upfront cost, daily work, for a while before any sort of success can be appreciated, the real need for a settled place with time and consistency, to name a few. One thing that is worse in falconry, but still difficult in bonsai is the real need for personal, proximate mentorship. When discussing how people got into falconry it is amazing how many people's seed was planted years, even decades before they got their first bird. It may have been a Craighead book, or a national geographic program. Maybe it was a education presentation in their school or at a renfaire. The point is the seed was planted strongly and when the person had the time and space in there life it germinated. With this in mind I would focus on planting seeds of facination. Not getting people started. 99 times out of a hundred a 15 year old will fail with something like bonsai, but if you hook their interest more will come back and be successful 10 years later than if they started at 15. all that was to justify saying, get them interested in the idea of bonsai. Without giving them an opportunity to fail at it. They will do there own research and come back to it when they can.
 
Woody Carverton said:
How to get the best bang for my buck and reach the maximum number of younger people in the 15-35 age group.
Click to expand...

I don't know: we had a very few young people coming to our club, they seemed very enthusiastic... but never came back after the first visit. I suppose they found sexier social groups somewhere else :D

Actually my interest in bonsai really started when I was 35 or so: before that, I had rented flats (apartments). When my ex-wife got pregnant, we rented a house with a garden, and later bought it.

But when you are not "settled", bonsai probably not a priority ;)

When you're divorced and your kids are adults, even if you have a companion, you can take some time to care about potted trees :p
 
GailC said:
As the mother of a kid in this age group who is interested in bonsai, I'll toss out the things I've seen her struggle with.

A concise web site of techniques, terminology and different species care. Yes the info is out there but its scattered around. For a young person with a full time job and in a new romantic relationship, she doesn't have time to hunt down multiple websites for the info she needs. I see most senior members recommending books but lets get real here, the younger generation doesn't want info in book for they want it online. I would love to see a website geared towards beginners with a TON of simple info and species care. I still struggle with timing of airlayers
Keep it simple for newbies. They don't know what a candle is or how to decandle a pine so of course they have no idea what to do with that new pine they just bought so they kill the poor thing. I see this in videos too, very little actual explanations in laymens terms.

Prices of pre bonsai material. DD has been looking for something decent that she can develop herself but everything is crazy expensive or hard to find. Keep in mind, for a youngster, $100 can be insanely expensive. The people who have decent material for good prices don't advertise or have a regular website to purchase from. You have to hunt them down on FB and only after someone gives you their name.

For sale material of airlayers or dug material for $50 or so would be perfect for newbies or for parents buying them for younger children. This could be added to the above mentioned website. I know there are lots of places you can buy beginner bonsai but most of them are crap and you know it.

Advertising, like those annoying little banners on top of this page but on websites younger people might be on. FB and youtube are great places to advertise, so are virtual pet websites. If you don't know what virtual pets are check out aywas.com or flightrising.com, these are filled with 20 year olds, a great target range.

Simpler youtube videos. don't just show a juniper getting pinched and wired, explain why you are pinching this and not that or why you are bending that branch down and not up and keep it professional. No one wants to hear your life story or about "this one time" and lay off the music, instructional videos need to be narrated, not a jam session.

Local bonsai workshops would be wonderful but I realize that can't be done everywhere. Many places do not have bonsai experts or schools but maybe a chain store would be willing to host some kind of event once a year. Say select home depot has a sale on prebonsai material along with a free cds/pamplets with basic info and a link to a website, said website would need to be the ones supplying the trees. of course.

Some kind of a kids day at larger bonsai shows. They could learn basic care for potted trees and buy reasonably priced trees in silly pots, spongebob or something like that. Have some contests for free trees, quizes would be good. Kids could get rewarded while learning proper care. Do a lot of local advertising for the bring a kid to the bonsai show and win a tree.

I think there is interest in bonsai but it's such a hard hobby to get into and fairly expensive. Make it easier to learn and cheaper to begin will go a long ways.
Click to expand...
Www.bonsaitonight.com
 
I think one of the big challenges is creating the image of this hobby as a young person's game. I think that classes, meetings, and demos in places like pubs, microbreweries, and music festivals is the way to get the real deal in front of younger folks. Websites like instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest are where that age range are spending their online time. I never see kids hanging out at the garden center and they aren't reading the newspaper (at least not the print version) so I think you have to take it to where your target demographic already is, rather than hoping to draw them elsewhere. I think the time lapse demo idea is right on point for online content. Short attention span theatre with lots of camera angles and cuts seems to be most enticing to the younger generations.
 
Not trying to be funny here...

I would be more than willing to make videos day in and day out aimed at helping people learn how to do the basics of Bonsai.

In fact not only have I already put out 18 since the beginning of the year, but would be more than willing to do more... and was hoping to do more. Originally, I was hoping to do at least 2 or 3 a week, but I am only managing 1 a week. Seeing I am still having to not only do them, but also my other Art of Chinese Brush Paintings, which is also something cool kids would love... in order to have an income.

If interested, I would be more than willing to come up with a proposal for you.

I would love the opportunity!
I am self-taught, both in Bonsai, and in Chinese Brush Painting. I have never had a teacher. Just worked extremely hard day in and day out teaching myself how to do them. I am self employed, and have my own business of selling the Brush Paintings I do, and considering how hard it is to be a full time Artist, I do extremely well, and I am always striving to improve, as well continually bring new products and ideas for new products out weekly for the bonsai community.

I worked for 15 years on the Film and Television Industry both in London England, and in Los Angeles, California. As a Poduction Designer/ Art Director, where I managed Multi-Million dollar Art Department budgets, and crews of up to 50 people. I have Directed movies, and I also, have done work in Animation, seeing seeing I am very good at drawing, and before I started doing what I now do full time. I worked designing Restaurants and Bars, doing Mural work, Sign work, and don't actually know how many Guinness signs I have actually painted over the years, even though Guinness is more than willing to provide Irish Bars with them, free of charge.

All of which I have done as an Independent Contractor. Which I have learned how to do, from my Father... who also ran his own Architectural Business, doing Airport work, Hospitals and about a million Grocery Stores and shopping centers... and where I grew up at from the age I was 4 and worked till I was 18 drafting.

I would welcome the chance to not only do more videos, and better quality videos... but, sadly they just eat into me trying to make a living. I have been for some time now trying to be able to do more actual teaching of Bonsai, and demonstrations... which is why I started doing the videos I have.


Sorry about the pitch for a job!
But, thought I would throw it out there.
Could mutually solve both our visions.
PM me if interested in talking.
If not, keep pushing to improve Bonsai in the States, I think the cause is a good one!
Thanks!
 
Another thing to think of is our society is geared towards instant gratification and bonsai is about delayed gratification. How many times have you heard, "plant it in the ground and wait 5 years?" Majority of people want nothing to do with that. I have stuff on my benches right now that I am growing out for when I retire in 7 years and let me tell you it ain't much fun waiting for it to happen! Maybe take your money and develop a hybrid bonsai plant that can be turned into something nice with less time invested.
 
Try an interest in just plants - vegetables ------------ things to eat and flowers to smell.

If there is the discipline to do just that, then try a shift to Bonsai,

Try and understand Bonsai is about ideas and not ornament.
Most young folk are not intersted in ornaments [ save personal - jewellery or hairstayles for example ]
It takes take stability to want to have plants.

So folk interested in marriage/ children will not want Bonsai. Ask and see how many are lonely, need
companions and eventually children.

Bonsai for youngsters is secondary to Education.
So to be frank it's not an idea I would push on anyone not finished with University or Lower school.

Plus you have to sink the idea of ground growing and making your own pots and concave pruner cutting
only tooth pick or matchstick sized branches.
The cost factor is too high to keep buying nursery trees,pots, soil and a concave pruner.

No parent wants that expense.

Bonsai will never die, but it will probably never be a number 1 unless it is to become a true Art.
Good Day
Anthony
 
AZbonsai said:
Another thing to think of is our society is geared towards instant gratification and bonsai is about delayed gratification. How many times have you heard, "plant it in the ground and wait 5 years?" Majority of people want nothing to do with that. I have stuff on my benches right now that I am growing out for when I retire in 7 years and let me tell you it ain't much fun waiting for it to happen! Maybe take your money and develop a hybrid bonsai plant that can be turned into something nice with less time invested.
Click to expand...

Yeah, thats called Mallsai. The typical Pro Nana Juniper.

The point is to engage a portion of the younger population and get them involved in something that teaches them about life and our planet, mainly that life isn't about instant gratification, and to get them to a point where they will stop for a second and look at nature around them. Maybe i'm just old, but the youth's want for instant gratification is half of whats wrong with the world today in my opinion.
 
A couple of years ago the Portland Bonsai Village was born using donations. They gathered over $20,000 and other than a nice web site I'm not sure what they have done with it. Seems like it has lost any momentum and interest. If they pick up this project again maybe they put together a plan for the younger crowd. $20,000 will buy a lot of beer to attract the 20 and 30 year olds!
 
In 50 years, I will speculate that bonsai will be as relevant on the east coast and west coast as it is today. The rest of the USA lacks the exhibition apparatus for people to "see" bonsai.
 
I think as some have already said, it is hard to make it attractive. If you were able to find "celebrities" who enjoy the hobby, and get them on board for an attempt to attract young people to the art. Students of agriculture, or arts could be draw into the hobby if there is good representation on the campuses.
 
Woody Carverton said:
Yeah, thats called Mallsai. The typical Pro Nana Juniper.

The point is to engage a portion of the younger population and get them involved in something that teaches them about life and our planet, mainly that life isn't about instant gratification, and to get them to a point where they will stop for a second and look at nature around them. Maybe i'm just old, but the youth's want for instant gratification is half of whats wrong with the world today in my opinion.
Click to expand...
I agree with you 100%. I have run an after school garden club for the past 10 years and we try to teach as many different ways of gardening that we can (bonsai included this year :)) you would be surprised at the number of kids that have never seen where their vegetables come from. I teach at an inner city school and the only nature these kids see is in our courtyard.
 
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