Delayed
Bags-o-clay
I swung by the guild on Monday to clean. It is a bit cruel that I haven’t been taking advantage of the guild’s studio space, yet since we’re a co-op, I’m still required to clean about every 4 months or so. I know – who’s fault is that? No need to rub it in. Anyway…while I was there, another member was using the electric slab roller (what a luxury) to create slabs to take home where she is going to work at her leisure. She had quite the system in place, boards, plastic wrap, etc. etc. and it got me thinking about whether I might like to do the same. I love hand building, and have hand rolled my slabs in the past – something I actually enjoy doing. At any rate, I decided not to use the electric slab roller, but I did bring home yet another 25# bag of clay – this time a white ^10 stoneware called “Dover” which is now sitting unopened next to the bag of ^6 porcelain. I might as well start working at ^10 for some work since the guild has 2 large gas car kilns.
I do have a plan. It’s just taken me awhile to arrive at a course of action. Making a decision is probably my weakest skill – I tend to deliberate and then deliberate my deliberations before I can move forward. Once I make a decision, I rarely look back. So here’s my dilemma – I need a fairly unobtrusive, comfortable and convenient place to work. Last weekend, my husband asked me when I was finally going to open the clay I brought home a couple of weeks ago, and I mentioned using the laundry room in the basement as a quasi temporary/permanent space where I can leave work in progress out and to work during the winter months. It’s warm, has running water, has shelving, counter space and it’s not precious, so it won’t matter if I get clay on the floor/walls etc. I think I might even bring my wheel inside which is going to require a little extra muscle power.
The laundry room isn’t exactly ideal, but it’s a start. I had planned to get it all set up yesterday and then…I got a small job offer that I couldn’t refuse. I’m updating/adding content to a WordPress website this week. Who would have thought that by teaching myself how to use and customize WordPress for my website out of financial necessity a few years ago, that I could actually earn a little extra income on the side? So, clay is going to have to wait for the weekend. But, I had better not wait too long – my last semester of school starts on Tuesday.
Re-entry is Rough
Roughly 3 weeks ago, I swung by the Colorado Potters Guild to pick up 25# of clay in anticipation of a clay reboot during my winter break between semesters. Alas…the clay is still sitting in the mudroom unopened, chastising me for being such a procrastinating wuss. The truth is, I feel rusty and a little intimidated by the fresh clay. It also doesn’t help that my work space in the garagio is a freezing mess and hasn’t really been organized since we moved here back in August 2009. (see below)
What a mess!
See – my wheel (far left) is barely recognizable underneath piles of stuff and while I wired our garage for my Skutt kiln, I have never fired it even once since moving here. I have two other kilns that are buried under other stuff somewhere else in the garage. sigh…. It also doesn’t help that the garage is not insulated – makes working in there pretty unbearable this time of the year.
So what’s a girl to do? I need a flexible warm space that’s convenient and works with my crazy school schedule – what if the clay mood strikes me at 1am in the morning? I could work at the shared studio at the guild when I have the time to drive cross town, or I could utilize part of my basement (if I can talk my husband into this) – though I don’t really like the idea of clay dust in the house. It’s a conundrum that I’m going to have to tackle this weekend because my last semester of school starts January 17th – a date that is rushing towards me at a lightning fast speed.
As an aside, we might be moving this summer – so I don’t really want to get too cozy. As for the clay – I know I just need to open it up and start by just touching it – the rest will hopefully follow.
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
Anybody Seen My Mojo?
Practice Bottle
Last week was “D-Day” for me, as in “get your damn a** into the Colorado Potters Guild’s studio day” and make use of your monthly dues already. Otherwise I should just write the treasurer a hefty annual check and consider it a charitable donation – though I don’t think the IRS will allow me to write that one off….
I don’t want to dwell, but humor me for just a tad…school really took a toll on my life over the last 10 months. I have high expectations of myself and when I decide to do something I give 200% effort and not just 100%. Here’s another confession – I’m really competitive and I was trying to keep up with my peers who are a good 10-20 years younger than me and who have few obligation outside of school. This attitude is not really a healthy way to approach some activities when doing so extracts more than it gives. My health suffered in a way that makes me feel run down with little energy to spare and I felt much like I imagine a hamster feels some days – just running full speed ahead on my little wheel that goes no where really fast – pass the NoDoz please.
Luckily, my family was really understanding and were very supportive of my education endeavors the past year. AND fortunately my husband and I didn’t really get into any major arguments last year – but this could be attributed to the fact that I was more like a roommate than a spouse. After all, I did provide him with ample ammunition to add to his argument arsenal that he didn’t use or hint at even once. He is so wise (sometimes) ;D Thank you! On the flip side, my daughter is morphing into a temperamental creature also referred to as a teenager and is now demanding more space (and doing so with mucho attitude I might add) while she figures out who she is. So our relationship is still very much intact despite my school obligations, only now I possess an uncanny ability to embarrass her without even trying. That’s fun!
But, back to clay & blogging…somewhere during the spring semester around 2/3 of the way through, I made the decision that I can’t take a full load of classes, be an active member of my family & find time for activities that I enjoy doing that round out my humble little life such as working with clay, exercising, gardening, hanging with friends, and recreational reading. I have to qualify the last activity because I’m doing plenty of reading in school – just not necessarily the fun kind.
Before you think that I’m going to announce that I’m dropping out of school, let me put that to rest right now. “Oh non, non cocodrie“ (said with my best Cajun accent – that bit is a phrase left over from a kid’s song that my daughter used to listen to that won’t leave my brain no matter what I do even on a Sunday morning not yet fully caffeinated ) - I’m just taking it at a slower pace by letting some of my ego go. So what if it takes me an extra year to finish, right? I’m already over 40 years old – that’s something that’s not going to change no matter what I do. Conversely, by not taking it a little easier, I lose out on many other opportunities, activities and interactions with people. Hopefully, my schedule adjustment will restore a little balance in my life and I can be a better partner to my husband & mother to my daughter, be a better friend, student, potter & blogger.
Speaking of blogging, I really missed my blog, reading your blogs and the interaction that joins clay people all over the world. When I received my annual hosting renewal notice in March, I almost didn’t fork over my credit card. But there was something troubling me in the back on my mind that convinced me to pony up the $$ to renew hosting and I’m glad that I did. It feels so right to jump back in and hopefully, I can reconnect with the clay community again – I’ve missed you!
_____________________________________________________
Have young children? Like Cajun music? Then Cajun for Kids: Papillon is for you. Music is guaranteed to entertain and lyrics will remain stuck in your brain for life.
Yes – I’m tweaking my blog template. I found Suffusion WordPress theme by Sayontan Sinha and love the options & layout. I just need to alter the colors ever so slightly.
