"hello!"

I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Rob, and I'm a budding young
 craftsperson.  After receiving a college degree in an unrelated field, I
 proceeded to work and search for what I really wanted to do. During the
past four years that I've lived in the Hudson River Valley, I've been a
welder/finisher at an art foundry, an upholsterer, a furniture restorer, a custom
picture framer, a guide at an historical site, and I am just getting going as a
mostly self taught blacksmith.  The reason I'm joining you, is along the lines of
a statement, that I hope I'm not miss-quoting, by one of you timberframing fellows.
It went something like: too many people in these fields are trying to invent new
ways of dealing with issues, instead of rediscovering the original successful
methods. I am trying to seriously get involved in traditional crafts because they
are real. I know this might make me sound like some philosophical kook, but it
is really hard for me to imagine basing my daily work on making things that
pretend to be something (i.e. painted aluminium tubing as "wrought iron").  I
don't want to rant and rave too much on my first day, so I think I'll sign off
now...