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Saturday, August 29, 2009
Another Thought on the Subject
John Britt has a brief, funny post over at Clay Club; one which wryly addresses the question I have been chewing on for the last year, or really, most of my life: How to make a living as a potter.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Baby, if you've ever wondered...
...Wondered, whatever became of me? Well, I am still here, trying to regain my traction. Here's what's keeping me away from the blogosphere:
1)Recovery from my mysterious shoulder injury has been painfully (literally) slow, so I am limited to a few pots at a time before the ache starts in. Few pots means a long time between firings.
2)It seems like there is just less time in the day this summer than usual, in part because I am trying to get my big old house painted. I am painting cream over dark-brown-faded-to-brick, so many, many coats are needed. I actually started this project two summers ago, just pecking away at it when I had an hour here or there; but I am getting sick of it looking like ass, blotchy and half done. I won't be able to finish it this year -- doing so will require a longer ladder, which is not in the budget -- but I want everything I can reach, done. It is sucking up all of my time.
3) I am letting myself get way too down reading about the efforts in Washington toward health care reform. I think it is the most important issue our country has faced in a long time, and I am discouraged by how many people, politicians and otherwise, seem content to simply leave things the way they are. Hey, they've got theirs, right? But don't let me get started on that. It takes up too much of my mind as it is, and this blog is not the place for it.
On the plus side, it has been a boom year for pottery sales, as I have two new outlets this season that regularly send nice checks. One is a year round store, one open from May to December. If I could just make more pots, I could probably do even better. I am considering pulling work from the outlets which don't do well, but that seems...I don't know. Not nice, somehow. You can see I lack the killer business instincts. On the other hand they might rather have the space for other work.
It's time once again to forgive myself for not being superhuman, and just get done what I can, and let go of the rest. Carpet covered with cat hair? Hakuna Matata! Garden getting weedy? ♫ Shadda-dadda, that ain't no crime! ♫
Seriously, some self-love is in order. That and a goal-setting reboot, coming soon to a blog near you.
1)Recovery from my mysterious shoulder injury has been painfully (literally) slow, so I am limited to a few pots at a time before the ache starts in. Few pots means a long time between firings.
2)It seems like there is just less time in the day this summer than usual, in part because I am trying to get my big old house painted. I am painting cream over dark-brown-faded-to-brick, so many, many coats are needed. I actually started this project two summers ago, just pecking away at it when I had an hour here or there; but I am getting sick of it looking like ass, blotchy and half done. I won't be able to finish it this year -- doing so will require a longer ladder, which is not in the budget -- but I want everything I can reach, done. It is sucking up all of my time.
3) I am letting myself get way too down reading about the efforts in Washington toward health care reform. I think it is the most important issue our country has faced in a long time, and I am discouraged by how many people, politicians and otherwise, seem content to simply leave things the way they are. Hey, they've got theirs, right? But don't let me get started on that. It takes up too much of my mind as it is, and this blog is not the place for it.
On the plus side, it has been a boom year for pottery sales, as I have two new outlets this season that regularly send nice checks. One is a year round store, one open from May to December. If I could just make more pots, I could probably do even better. I am considering pulling work from the outlets which don't do well, but that seems...I don't know. Not nice, somehow. You can see I lack the killer business instincts. On the other hand they might rather have the space for other work.
It's time once again to forgive myself for not being superhuman, and just get done what I can, and let go of the rest. Carpet covered with cat hair? Hakuna Matata! Garden getting weedy? ♫ Shadda-dadda, that ain't no crime! ♫
Seriously, some self-love is in order. That and a goal-setting reboot, coming soon to a blog near you.