Shortly after this, a core group formed to develop the database and the survey used to populate it. The intention was that the resulting database would archive everything and be available to the community at large. While this sounds like a simple enough task—to trace one's roots backwards in time, to connect master/teacher to apprentice/student, and to connect colleague to colleague—anyone who has ever tried to flush out a standard family genealogy knows the difficulty involved. This project, of necessity, casts a wide net into the vast ocean of hand papermaking's history of interconnections and the influences that shape each of us in the course of our lifetimes. For most of the currently documented individuals, these influences and interconnections will continue to expand for many years and impact their work and the work of others in the next generation. While all of this data is useful, it only scratches the surface of our real aspiration —understanding the personal connections and the way knowledge is directly imparted in our field. A "family tree" appears beside this article, which I developed based on the information submitted by our 70 respondents, in combination with the relatively small amount of research I have conducted on the side for the 300-plus names included. As the drawing of this "tree" developed, rather than clearly splitting branches, an interdependent web of knowledge with many overlapping strands has manifested. Certain figures draw more connections than others—which at this early stage is a reflection of who has taken the survey, rather than who is necessarily the most influential—but the expanse of this family "web" is what supports all of its practitioners. In many ways, this tree/web is still incomplete: there are missing strands between individuals; a number of key figures are not yet represented; and papermaking organizations are not listed as of yet. While seemingly overwhelming, it represents a vital network of hand papermakers sharing knowledge, not in a hierarchical sense, but rather upwards, downwards, diagonally, and across generations. This web of knowledge exists not just because we protect the art form of hand papermaking as custodians, but because we transmit it to others, and for the duration of this transmission, we are able to inspire those we teach. Statistics and graphic representations cannot accurately reflect the quality and depth of our experiences, or sufficiently explain why three hours with one person, or even one book, can open new doorways and change the course of everything we have previously learned. I invite you to add your name into the Hand Papermaking Family Tree and database, or to volunteer to create an entry for an important deceased figure in the community by visiting the project website: http://handpapermakingcommunity.wordpress.com. winter 2013 - 23 Most of the raw data gathered from the Hand Papermaking Community Documentation Project reflects a papermaker's current practice, be it artistic, educational, focused on production, conservation, or research, and many statistics can be extracted from the database at this point, even with only 70 respondents (at the time of this writing, June 2013). - Of our total survey-takers, there are 64 individuals and 6 organizations. - 70 percent of papermakers self-identify as an "artist," working two-dimensionally, three-dimensionally, or with the book. - While 80 percent of individuals have taught hand papermaking, only 60 percent consider themselves to be an educator. - 60 percent say that papermaking contributes at least "a little" to their annual income. - A trend in the data suggests that as papermakers continue in their practice and learning, "in-house research" and "ongoing practice and personal experience" become more important than the influence of a single individual, reinforcing that active work in the studio is a primary means of growth. - Books, dialog with peers, and workshops (in that order) rank as the next major influences. - Exactly half of all of the papermakers interviewed have studied outside of their own country. While the majority of these studies have been short-term, which is not to discount their importance, in the form of workshops and visits to mills, 15 percent have taken extended visits or have completed apprenticeships and residencies. - Bonus statistic: the vast majority named Hand Papermaking magazine a top-5 influential publication.
