Happy 2012!
Yay – it’s a new year! Like many other people, I welcome the new year as a time to take advantage of a semi-fresh start to make resolutions and to rekindle flames that may have dimmed a bit over the past year (or several).While one could argue that simply flipping the pages of a calendar from 2011 – 2012 is really part of the space time continuum – part of one long trajectory, it is still symbolic and clearly worthy of celebration by people all over the world every single new year. It is in this vein, that I celebrate 2012 & all of it’s glorious potentials and opportunities.
2012 is also the year I graduate with a MLA (masters of landscape architecture) degree – a path that also sprang from a new year’s resolution (2008) to finish something I had put aside years before. While graduating is a huge accomplishment for me and my family (who have suffered through the past 2.5 years of my harried presence), it has also been a great learning experience and one that I hope to apply to my dusty pottery career. Yep – I often joke that this MLA might just be the best MFA I ever earned! ;D
Seriously, I recently sat down with a wonderful friend of mine on the eve of 2012, and we mused on the state of the economy and how I might use my new credentials come May. I have some small landscape projects on the horizon, but nothing that constitutes a full time job, with benefits, and the promise of a gold watch upon retirement (and do I really want that?). More than anything, I really miss clay & the clay community. So, why can’t I do both? My friend asked me, “Don’t you think that this is part of the new economy?” Meaning multiple streams of income.
I wonder. In retrospect, I think this is what a lot of potters & all artists do really well. Multi-task – teach, make, sell, market, etc., etc. I know this leaves us feeling pulled & tugged in multiple directions, but would you do anything else? Would you settle for just any job for the sake of a job? I realize that my question might sound privileged – but I am going to have to invent myself since I’ve been unemployed & have been MIA in the pottery world for the past couple of years. In my case, if I really want a full time landscape architecture job, I could probably get one in Asia – it’s where a lot of $$ & construction is happening. In the US, it’s much, much tighter and competitive for a newly minted landscape designer – beggars can’t be choosy, as the saying goes.
So, I made a couple of resolutions towards stepping back into the clay world – while still completing my schooling and venturing into landscape architecture come graduation.
- I am going to reinvigorate my blog – this blog – it’s a great way for me to be involved with the clay community and to get my thoughts in order regardless of audience.
- I am going to set aside 1 day a week of working with clay in lieu of a landscape internship (I did one last summer-fall) in order to explore new ideas and to make some work for sale on Etsy - my shop is looking so forlorn right now.
- I am going to make work for the biannual Colorado Potters Guild Spring show in May and take advantage of the studio space – I have been giving the guild my monthly dues for studio upkeep & maintain the website as a volunteer without any benefit for the past couple of years.
- I am going to revisit all my favorite clay bloggers & find new ones to foster community + inspiration.
Meanwhile, I’m really becoming addicted to Pinterest – I’m going to have to curb this if I’m going to be a productive, multi-tasking aficionado.
xo,
Cynthia
I’m Borrredddd!
I guess that means that it’s time for me to go back to school. It’s been a good break, albeit a bit long and I still didn’t get everything accomplished that I wanted to in the past 5 weeks. My break has been punctuated by family visits, holidays, fun and then in the last week, the national news that pretty much consumed me as I scoured the internet for any and all information. I hate to be a pessimist, but the past week left me feeling a bit hopeless and drained. I suppose like many people, I needed time to digest everything and regroup. AND, regroup is what I’ve done because ultimately, I have faith in the human spirit.
Ginny Cash – Covered Jar
In between spending too much time online and being a lady of leisure, I have slowly continued to de-clutter and organize our house as we prepare to potentially move across town this summer between semesters – I do miss my former studio and look forward to inhabiting it once again. Thanks to my recent online dalliances and boredom, I retook the Myers-Brigg Personality Test for kicks and giggles. Actually, I retake this test every so often in an attempt to see if the results will change – they don’t. I’ve been an ENFP ever since I first took this test in my youth. I’d say it’s a fairly accurate – I’m an idealist and a people person which made the news out of Arizona last weekend very traumatic. I have such a hard time understanding why things like this happen – and don’t get me wrong, I’m not naive, just sensitive.
I finally cut myself off from all news and focused on the tasks I needed to complete before beginning my 4th semester of grad school, which begins tomorrow. News overload just isn’t healthy….
Meanwhile, on my to-do list this winter break is to update the Colorado Potters Guild website with photographs of work taken before our fall show. I began editing the photographs this morning and several caught my eye, including Ginny Cash’s covered jar above and Sarah Christensen’s covered jar below. Nothing like looking at beautiful handmade pottery to make me feel better!
Sarah Christensen – Covered Jar
Finally, I think I learned something about myself. I’m the type of person who can get a heck of a lot done when I’m busy. Sitting around, being lazy does nothing for me and in turn makes me even more lethargic – such a vicious cycle. Have a good week everyone!
Happy July!
Flower Trio by Jasmine
Not so much happening here in Denver the last week except for gardening and my plants class. In that vein, I decided to share a painting my daughter created in early June at the Art Student’s League of Denver. We finally started renovating the exterior of our house – photos to come later. Nothing crazy or anything since we’ve decided to move next year after we’ve completed our 2 year residency stay. I would have like to go crazy and implemented a more water thrifty garden design, but alas I’m working with what I have and have a tight budget. 
Meanwhile, I need to finish my take home Plants midterm right now…only three weeks left till I can enjoy a real summer vacation before the fall semester begins. Hope everyone’s summer is splendid!
Say What?
Ron & I went to Red Rocks last Friday to see Widespread Panic in concert again – Fun Show!
Not much happened in the studio this past week – though I do have an excuse. And no, my dog didn’t eat my car keys preventing me from driving to the CPG or anything…. The real reason? My in-laws were in town and we spent the week catching up, consuming great food & drink and even managed to remodel my daughter’s bedroom complete with new paint job including teenager like accessories. I have to say it looks good if you like gatorade green (you know that sort of effervescent glow in the dark green that looks like it could etch metal?)! What can I say, she picked the colors this time around and she’s infatuated with neon at the moment. To be honest, I rather like the color now that it’s on the wall and think I may use this color in my home somewhere in the future.
I have a huge to-do list that I would like to accomplish before school starts again for me at the end of August. I wish time stood still like it did when I was a kid – endless summer…but alas, time seems to spend faster and faster these days. On my to-do list you ask? (in no particular order)
- Update the Colorado Potters Guild website with new photos from the spring show.
- Putz around with all the new software I learned in the past year including Illustrator, AutoCad, GIS etc so that I’m way more efficient next year.
- Work in the clay studio more.
- Landscape our garden.
- Run more.
- Clean up my website.
- Start a website for my landscape architecture portfolio.
- Read more.
- Start packing so that we can move next summer…. Say what?
Yep, my husband and I moved into our current house (which we had been renting out for the past 10 years) last summer with the goal of selling or staying. We’ve decided to sell because we miss our old hood and all the amenities and I hate taking the #15 bus to school (yes, I take public transportation ‘cuz it’s eco-friendly and a hassle to park downtown, not to mention expensive – more on the adventure filled #15 another day). Will it be a huge pain in the ass? YES! I admit to you here and now – I have been bribed.
Have I told you how much I miss my studio?
