I just had the most inspiring conversation last evening. And it had a lot to do with perspective.

As arborists, we spend a lot of time looking up into the crowns of trees. As climbers, we try to envision what each work position will be like, what tools we’ll need where, how difficult the work will be to get to, and what types of climbing and rigging systems we’ll have to deploy in order to get it done efficiently. We imagine, as best we can, how the work will go, and then we propose an estimate.

Consequently, we eventually go up into those same trees, we begin the process that is arboriculture, and then all of sudden things change. Angles change. Limbs aren’t as horizontal or as vertical as they seemed. We find a dangerous pocket of decay, or a plane crack that couldn’t be spotted from the ground. The space changes, the distance changes, the work changes, because the perspective changes. We are all of sudden consumed by the tree in a way that is hard to reconcile with the act of simply looking up at it. Analyzing it from afar.

As an artist, as an arborist, we are two separate entities, with two separate perspectives. We exist within our work, and we also reside outside of it. Both perspectives are critical to our success.

What we produce as arborists-the services we provide: the pruned tree, or the removed tree, or the fertilized tree-is directly connected to us. What we create though, should be able to stand alone, independently, in order to be received well by those we are creating for. That is, if you’re wanting to build an audience, or more specifically, a clientele and a healthy business. Beautiful work has a wide range of appeal. Because beauty is simple, and easy to interpret. Sloppiness, lack of preparation and poor execution, not so much.

It’s important to consider that the better we are at something, the clearer, the cleaner, the more exact we strive to be, the better we will be able to engage with clients. The better our arboriculture will be received. Clutter and misdirection can cloud the air, and there is no better way to lose work than to confuse a client about their trees. It can be deadly for business, or at least unhealthy.

Great arborists can appeal to people on many levels in order to connect with them. Loving what you do will undoubtedly open other peoples heart to it as well. In order to connect, we must be willing to trust others, and we must be willing to let them trust us. How often are we educating clients on trees and their biological activities? How often are we asking tree owners to put their faith in us? Many people may want to listen, but can’t. We lose them because of our narrative.

A great arborist, in this sense, must be a great story teller. A great arborist tells the story of trees. A great arborist captivates people. A great arborist can help people understand and enjoy trees the same way a great writer can help people enjoy words, or a great musician can help people enjoy music, or a great dancer can help someone enjoy ballet. It is our job to translate for people the beauty in their trees.

Essentially, we offer people a new perspective on their trees. Through different perspectives, our craft is perfected. Through different perspectives, we may all see a little more clearly.