Carving Eyes - The Reality!

On another blog I posted the question: "Can an old dog learn new tricks"?

I figgered that if this old dog could learn to use a computer, he could learn anything.  My current experience in trying to learn to carve realistic eyes has brought me back to my college classrooms of the late 50's.  To be more specific, the class was THE PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING.  Let me cut to the chase!  I have to "unlearn" five years of reinforced practicing to carve faces without having realistic eyes.  I never gave much thought to roughing out the eye area, because the eyes that I did were only half carved and then painted in.  Now in order to carve realistic eyes I must change the way I have learned to carve the face - at least the eye area.  And dang it, I learned it well.  The results of practice, practice, and practice made sure of that.  Some where along the way I remember the following words:  "We cannot plant new crops without first uprooting the old roots and giving the new seeds a chance.  We need to unlearn before we can learn anew.  Unlearning is the key".  How then do I unlearn carving the face, the way I've learned it, and learn a new way?"...I know, I know, practice, practice, practice.