Back when I was a teenager, I was really into bonsai for a bit, but was quickly put off by how..."foot-binding-esque"...the art seemed.
I forget a lot of the details, but I do remember that there were some bonsai styles, perhaps more modern than others (I am not sure about this), that focused on limiting what tools one was allowed to use to shape the tree's growth, and letting the plant grow naturally.
Perhaps others who know better can comment on what these bonsai styles are called.
Anyway, even if I could recognize that bonsai were beautiful, I was way too impatient to stick with it!
If you are interested in bonsai at a faster pace, you can bonsai other kinds of plants. A favourite is chrysanthemum. Instead of pruning twice a year, you are doing it every week or so. They are very demanding, though.
I forget a lot of the details, but I do remember that there were some bonsai styles, perhaps more modern than others (I am not sure about this), that focused on limiting what tools one was allowed to use to shape the tree's growth, and letting the plant grow naturally.
Perhaps others who know better can comment on what these bonsai styles are called.
Anyway, even if I could recognize that bonsai were beautiful, I was way too impatient to stick with it!