Story #10 John Nels Hatleberg went from quitting piano lessons to starting gem-cutting course at the age of 10
John Nels Hatleberg.
Anyone who is into diamonds might know him. Of course, I have not heard of him before this.
He is the world famous diamond design expert. An artist with stone and gem, a designer, a world leading authority in his field. He works with South African government, British Musuem, consults De Beers..in all things diamond!.
John says by age ten, it was clear he did not enjoy his piano lessons. His true passion even then was stone. He was fascinated with stones and gem. He said that he had incredible parents who not only allowed him to quit his piano BUT also enrolled him in a gem-cutting course at age 10!
It was an adult education program held in a basement of suburban Maryland recreation center. He studied gem-cutting with a bunch of retirees as his class mates. He learnt so much from the course and from his class mates who are more experienced than him. Age is no barrier. Their common love for gem easily overcame that.
In college, he stopped his gem-cutting course but still pursued it as his passion outside his formal studies. After graduation, he combined his knowledge gain from college and his ongoing passion in gem.
Today, he is where he is today.
His parents played a BIG role in allowing him to pursue his passion.
How many kiasu (the Malaysian/Singaporean equivalent of FOMO, Fear of Missing Out) parents can do that?
"Wah lau eh (the Malaysian/Singaporean equivalent of OMG)! Let my son stop piano, and then go and learn some useless gem-cutting course with a bunch of retirees as his classmates some more? For what??? Waste money leh!!!"
I'm sure that'd be the standard response.
So, if you think you are a bit kiasu like me, read this book. After reading a few pages of this book, I am now less kiasu already.
Most importantly, you will do your kids a big FAVOUR.
Remember. The best way to help our kids is to help ourselves : )
For those who have not heard of John Nels Hatleberg, here's a brief introduction of him taken from www.johnhatleberg.com.
John Hatleberg has been working secretly for years on an incredible project.
Anyone who is into diamonds might know him. Of course, I have not heard of him before this.
He is the world famous diamond design expert. An artist with stone and gem, a designer, a world leading authority in his field. He works with South African government, British Musuem, consults De Beers..in all things diamond!.
John says by age ten, it was clear he did not enjoy his piano lessons. His true passion even then was stone. He was fascinated with stones and gem. He said that he had incredible parents who not only allowed him to quit his piano BUT also enrolled him in a gem-cutting course at age 10!
It was an adult education program held in a basement of suburban Maryland recreation center. He studied gem-cutting with a bunch of retirees as his class mates. He learnt so much from the course and from his class mates who are more experienced than him. Age is no barrier. Their common love for gem easily overcame that.
In college, he stopped his gem-cutting course but still pursued it as his passion outside his formal studies. After graduation, he combined his knowledge gain from college and his ongoing passion in gem.
Today, he is where he is today.
His parents played a BIG role in allowing him to pursue his passion.
How many kiasu (the Malaysian/Singaporean equivalent of FOMO, Fear of Missing Out) parents can do that?
"Wah lau eh (the Malaysian/Singaporean equivalent of OMG)! Let my son stop piano, and then go and learn some useless gem-cutting course with a bunch of retirees as his classmates some more? For what??? Waste money leh!!!"
I'm sure that'd be the standard response.
So, if you think you are a bit kiasu like me, read this book. After reading a few pages of this book, I am now less kiasu already.
Most importantly, you will do your kids a big FAVOUR.
Remember. The best way to help our kids is to help ourselves : )
For those who have not heard of John Nels Hatleberg, here's a brief introduction of him taken from www.johnhatleberg.com.
John Hatleberg began cutting gems at the age of ten and apprenticed as a lapidary until college. During graduate school at Cranbrook Academy of Art he narrowed his medium to the limitations of gems and minerals, a decision that led to a focus for the potential of jewels. Several years later he had an offer to design mica and resin jewelry for the fashion runways in Paris. This led him to perfect the techniques that would soon enable him to work with highly important diamonds.
Supplementing his art, John Hatleberg has consulted for the Tower of London for the permanent exhibitions "Crowns and Diamonds" concerning the Koh-i-Noor, consulted for Christie's Third edition of lan Balfour's "Famous Diamonds" to improve the diamond photographs and consulted on the landmark "Diamants" exhibitions at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris . He has been a lecturer at Sotheby's with and without the noted diamond historian lan Balfour, the Gemological Institue of America, The Gemmological Association of Great Britain and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
John Hatleberg has been working secretly for years on an incredible project.
Comments