Sharing old wisdom with youngsters

FALLS VILLAGE — Joe Brien emerged from his workshop, tucked in the woods off Point of Rocks Road, in answer to a “Hello?”Dusting himself ineffectually, he apologized for the state of things, explaining that after a big job he usually takes a day to straighten up.But after a series of smaller projects, and in the midst of preparing for a workshop on constructing emergency shelters, stuff had piled up a bit.It looked fine to the layman.A native of Salisbury, Brien has been conducting his Lost Art Workshops since graduating from the Rhode Island School of Deisgn in 1989. He combines the workshops with furniture design and projects big and small — cabinets, freestanding furniture, and, on this day, restoring the seats of an Adirondack guideboat he pegged at being from the late 19th century.Brien worked in Sharon for 10 years and has been in Falls Village for another 11.He began the workshops, which are designed to teach children the kind of skills (whittling, making a fire in the woods when it’s wet, how to use a compass) that used to be handed down from generation to generation.“These are common sense, basic skills. Kids used to learn them from their parents.”Where did they go?“I don’t know,” said Brien. “The television age, whatever.“I’m constantly amazed. Kids who don’t even know how to cook something.”But once engaged, the kids wind up enjoying the workshops — to the surprise and delight of their parents.“I’ll watch somebody struggle at first. They’ll get frustrated, say they can’t do it, it’s too hard.“And then there is a magic moment when it starts to click. The kid says, ‘Oh, I get it. This is fun.’”And then — “Can I do another one?”Brien thinks that today’s children “aren’t challenged enough. They’re not experienced in pushing through something.”Brien said he does about three hours of preparation for each hour of instruction. “Early on I decided I wouldn’t provide project parts. I don’t want the kids to assemble a kit.”Instead the participants create everything from scratch, as far as is practical considering age and dexterity.There’s some psychology to it. In a particularly cunning maneuver, he pointed out to boys learning to use a sewing machine that the device is in fact a power tool.Parents are happy, he said. “They’ll tell me their child can’t concentrate in school, but didn’t complain once in a four-hour workshop.”The wilderness survival workshops highlight the gap between the modern, technology-heavy world and the old wisdom.Brien said he asks the children to make a list of what they would need to survive overnight in the wilderness.“They list the cell phone, video game, the mp3 player — and some junk food.”But by the end of the workshop, they are thinking in terms of shelter, water, fire and food.Brien divides his time about equally between his paying projects and the workshops. The workshops are frequently sponsored by non-profit organizations, such as the Great Mountain Forest and the Housatonic Youth Service Bureau, that find funding to pay Brien for his time. The workshops are usually free to the public, with the occasional modest registration fee.Brien also holds private workshops, which involve a fee.The response is gratifying, he said. “I get more fulfillment out of teaching kids than from any furniture job.”For more information, see www.lostartworkshops.com.