You'll Find Inspiration Between Ice Cream and Intellect

Inspiration comes when it comes, and from whatever source. 
I was having a very productive streak Thursday and Friday.  Loaded & fired a bisque; made lots of big vases and mugs; glued the corks on wine stoppers;  and took care of my gallery-sitting obligation. Not to mention mowing the lawn and mulching the garden, cleaning the house (well, sort of) and grocery shopping. Also got in a 4 mile walk on the rail trail on Friday; it was beautiful. So I was cruising right along, but when I woke up this gray morning, I just didn't feel like doing anything at all. I went back to bed with Pat Conroy's South of Broad, which might be a good book if it weren't exactly like all the other books Pat Conroy has written. Actually I'd given up on Pat after Beach Music, but then somebody gave me this book, and I'm a sucker for a freebie. Plus I was thinking, those books can't be as redundant as I remember. Wrong!
Anyway. Conroy put me to sleep, but when I woke up again I still fell gloopy and unmotivated. I've been told I should learn to just go with it when that happens, but I didn't today. Today I tried something which has sometimes worked in the past: desserts. Not cookies or pudding cups, or anything that comes in cellophane. It needs to be something fancy and special, which requires some preparation but doesn't take all day. Answer: Banana  Split!
I already had the ice cream (just for the lidded bucket, don'tcha know) and Hannaford is right across the street. Yes, honey, I spent the Clynk money - reserved for pet food emergencies - on this. Now we are even for that 12-pack of Natty Ice from last month.
Wow, this is getting long, and I haven't even gotten to the ceramics yet.
Anyway, I bought chocolate syrup and a banana, and I already had some raspberries; and then I started fantasizing about a perfect dish for a banana split. Size and approximate shape are dictated by function, but within those parameters, an infinity of variation is possible. Something joyful and fun but also very utilitarian...Can I make fun, joyful boats within the soda-fire palette? I can feel the gears beginning to turn.
I managed to make a split anyway btw, as you see above, in a beautiful bowl by Watershed's 2010 Salad Days artist, whose name escapes me, and which no amount of Google-fu has produced. [Edit: Sean O'Connell. Thanks, CC!] But now I'm off, excited and motivated, to make banana split boats. And then maybe some sundae cups!
Photos later.