Fall Into Place

The transition from summer to fall officially began this past weekend and the cool rainy weather in our ‘neck of the woods’ underscored that changeover. Pumpkin-inspired everything has been evident everywhere in the build-up to the season, so it’s not a surprise that fall is actually here; I welcome the change of seasons, but also mourn the loss of the preceding time of year. 

Pottery is a messy business every step of the way!

My studio has been in fall and winter preparation for weeks. I have self-imposed deadlines to create the pieces I plan to make and sell for the upcoming holiday season. Part of this busy pressure is an attempt to space out the timing of clay production so it doesn’t all crunch together the week before a scheduled show or target date. I am ahead of schedule, but for some reason I’m still experiencing the pressure. 

Exploring new shapes always helps balance the repetition of making familiar shapes. Im testing out these new vase forms in the studio.

I think stress is built into the nature of creating pottery. It is an art form requiring attention throughout a long making process. Each step has it’s own pitfalls. Experience helps me avoid these common clay hazards, but from start to finish (at least a two week process), there are many stages where things can go wrong. That contributes to the pressure build-up in making art out of clay. 

Luckily, my years of clay-making have also taught me in the end that everything tends to fall into place. Planning ahead, sticking to a routine, brushing off the failures, and embracing the process all help me achieve my goals. Then it’s on to the next one!

Time and Effort vs. Instant Gratification

Pottery is not an art form that produces instant gratification. Along the clay-making process, there are lots of mini-victories to celebrate, but time and patience are what eventually get rewarded. I am reminded of this still (even after decades of making pots) each time I try to rush through one of the steps to hurry the process. Clay does not like to be pushed to save time. 

I took that same lesson to the kitchen this weekend. I cooked my favorite lasagna recipe for dinner last night. All told, it was a 12 hour activity including shopping for non-staples, prepping the variety of ingredients (including pasta!) to cook and simmer throughout the day, assemble the layers, bake and enjoy. Was it worth it? Yes, yes it was. Would I cook like this every day? No, but when I do take the time, the payoff and enjoyment are well worth the effort. 

Here's what I'm knitting right now. It combines a special colorway called "The Knothouse 2018" hand-dyed by Periwinkle Sheep with a pattern by Casapinka called Local Yarn Shawl. As each pattern section builds, the final result, which takes weeks of nightly knitting will be phenominal! 

In today’s world of speedy internet and lots of electronic communication choices, it’s easy to get sucked into warp-speed addiction. Faster is better. If we don’t have to spend 12 hours cooking one meal, then we get to fill our time with lots of other productive activity. I like that premise, but I don’t think it’s always more productive. Just because we can cram more into a 12 hour period, doesn’t mean it is worthwhile. When I speed through life, I miss the nuance of each activity. Every once in a while its good to slow down and take your time.

Click on this recipe for the full instructions!