When you look at a bar of soap, you probably see a hygiene product. But Jerry Claude and other residents in Park Senior Villas’ Chandler community see a chance to express their creativity.
Although you may not have considered soap carving as a pastime, you just might when you learn about the benefits it offers. You might even decide to try your hand at wood carving, which is how Jerry started out more than 45 years ago.
An Artistic Hobby To Complement a Career in Technical Design
Jerry worked as a civil engineer, specializing in transportation infrastructure. In this role, he reviewed and developed technical designs and plans for major roads, including interstate highways.
In 1980, Jerry’s wife gave him a wood carving kit for his birthday, which led him to attend a local woodcarvers’ club meeting in Waterloo, Iowa.
He says he met a lot of interesting people at the gathering and was inspired to start carving after seeing “some really neat pieces” they had made.
Over the ensuing decades, Jerry created an impressive collection of wood carvings. Several are Western themed, such as two of his favorites, Mountain Man and Indian Maiden. Jerry says he was inspired to create the latter when he saw a picture of a Native American woman in a magazine and realized he’d never tried to carve one.
Others of Jerry’s favorites include the many Santas he has carved, as well as some of his animal carvings.
He created these pieces from basswood, which is light in weight and soft, so it’s ideal for carving.
These days, Jerry enjoys carving soap and clay. “The tools aren’t nearly as sharp!” he says with a chuckle.
Valuable Life Lessons Learned While Carving
When asked what carving has taught him about life, Jerry says it’s a constant reminder not to hurry. To take it easy and relax.
“Mistakes are not mistakes [in carving],” he says. “They’re just a change in design.”
According to Jerry, the main benefit soap carving provides is keeping the mind active.
“It teaches real discipline, too,” he says, “because you can’t rush a carving — you have to learn to slow down.”
Jerry’s New Role: Carving Guide
Soon after Gretchen Hartman started as the new Activity Director in our Chandler community, she talked to residents about what they like to do. When Jerry told her how much he enjoys carving, she asked other residents if they’d be interested in learning how to make soap carvings.
Several expressed their enthusiasm for giving it a try, so Gretchen consulted with Jerry to see what kind of supplies they would need. Jerry has been guiding his fellow soap carvers for a couple of months or so.
“They’re really getting into it,” he says.
“Les is working on a whale, and Virginia finished a free-form design that she painted up real nice.
“Deb started out carving a fat bird, but when a chunk of her soap crumbled, I reminded her — and the others — that there are no mistakes in carving, just design changes. So, her bird turned into a duck!
“Ronnie and Cynthia are making flowers, and Francis is working on a mermaid. As for me, I’m carving a snail.”
Additional Benefits Associated With Carving
Creating a sculpted piece, whether from wood, soap, or even stone, can provide a sense of satisfaction. Anyone who continues to hone their skills and measure their progress as they go can take pride in their accomplishments. Some even experience an increase in dopamine levels as they complete a carving. (Dopamine is often called the “feel-good” hormone.)
According to a blog post by BeaverCraft Tools, the rhythmic process of carving and the focus it requires can also alleviate stress and ease anxiety. Gradually, it leads to a meditative state in which the chatter of the mind quiets and the challenges of the outside world fade away.
Carving has physical health benefits, too, such as helping to improve manual dexterity and fine motor skills, as well as grip strength and hand-eye coordination.
Carving for Beginners
If you’re interested in experiencing the benefits of carving firsthand, you can find instructional videos and tutorials online.
Soap carving may be your easiest choice for getting started. You may not even need to buy any supplies, as you can use items you probably already have on hand, such as plastic knives, paper clips, toothpicks, cuticle sticks, or hairpins.
Choose a soft soap, such as Ivory. Moisturizing soaps such as Dove are more prone to chipping and crumbling. Glycerin soaps, while often pretty, can be sticky or tacky.
As you develop your skills, you may want to buy a carving kit, which you can find at most craft stores or online. Kits are available for different age and skill levels, for both soap and wood carving.
We Carve Out Plenty of Time for Fun
All four Park Senior Villas communities have an Activity Director who collaborates with other staff on a wide variety of activities that keep residents engaged and enthused.
To learn more about Park Senior Villas and the lifestyle we offer, call us at 602-345-1992. Or you can fill out our short online form and we’ll be in touch promptly.
If you’d like to experience any of our communities in person, we invite you to explore our upcoming events and RSVP for any that seem appealing.
Featured Image: vinsensiusagung / Shutterstock
