Make Pots - Make Opportunities!

I am noticing something both challenging and very cool: every time I have extra inventory, an opportunity appears to sell more inventory.

Well, I don't know about "appears." Sometimes it just appears, as when a student opened a fine crafts boutique last summer and approached me about selling there. Sometimes it comes about because I pursue it - which I would not do if I didn't have the inventory on hand. Whichever way, taking advantage of a lucky happenstance or creating an opportunity, the key is inventory. If I don't have pots, I have to decline offers to do shows or place my work. And I certainly won't go around trying to sell pots I don't have!

So, though I have made strides in this area this year, my goal for next year is a re-run: make more stuff. This is a very good thing, because what I really want to do is make stuff anyway. The challenge last year was to prioritize studio time over things are immediately demanding but less important in the long run. This year it gets a little tougher: since I've already cut out most of the obvious time-wasters (yeah, yeah...I said "most," okay?) now I have to focus on re-prioritizing the things that all really are important, and on removing inefficiency from my process. Figuring out how to do that is on my list for the rest of 2009.