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!

Common Denominator

Did you know there is a difference between straw and hay?  I didn’t know they weren’t the same. Hay is feed for animals to eat. Straw is what they sleep on. Each comes from a different part of the grain plant. I learned this valuable tidbit in a conversation while working at a local Fiber Festival this past weekend. I watched one of the demonstrations of sheep shearing and struck up a conversation with the farmer/sheep owner. Even though we live in two different environments, wool was our common denominator as we talked.

We all have things in common. It could be a shared activity, skill, passion, age, living circumstance, children, job or even disagreement. The list is endless. And probably common ground can be discovered even in a conversation with a complete stranger. Think ‘six degrees of separation,’ where the deeper you delve into what you share with a person, the closer you seem to get to a connection. 

Clay and fiber are two strong common denominators in my life. Sometimes they collide, like this past weekend at the Fiber Festival.  Several of my yarn-related clay items were part of The Knot House yarn shop's festival booth. It was an opportunity to meet new people who share my love of yarn (and clay) and reconnect with friends in attendance who also share those passions. 

Do you like jewelry? Want to take that passion one step further? Sign up for my wrap bracelet craft party sponsored by The Muse in Frederick, MD! I'd love to see you on Wedesdnay, June 21. I'll bring the supplies (and a batch of my chocolate chip cookies!) and help you make one of these special creations of your own. Click on photo for more details.

It feels good to find common ground. And I was reminded this weekend that what I share in common with people is far stronger than any difference we might have. Clay and yarn are just two subjects that open commonalities for me. What are some of your common denominators?

Full Time Part Time

I used to believe multi-tasking was a good thing. Being able to take care of two jobs at once was a bonus. Now I’m not so sure. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and my overall ability to focus is waning so doing two things at once means neither gets done very well. But I also think in our busy world, it’s kind of a necessary evil. 

We all face some of these choices in our daily lives. Work requires full time attention. Home demands constant input. Family is another time-worthy investment. And within each of these important categories there are ongoing responsibilities that require attention. How can we do it all and do it well? I don’t necessarily have an answer.

I love getting feedback from my customers. Pat sent me this picture of a bird feeder she recently purchased and told me, "One morning I looked out and saw two goldfinches perched on the bar on either side of the feeder going round and round as the wind spinned it and feeding away! It was so much fun to watch." This made my day!!!

I’ve been thinking about this as I continue to develop the business side of my clay art. Making pottery is the fun and easy part. Photographing, posting on-line, marketing and selling are all crucial elements of the business side of this endeavor. Each could be a full time job. So how do I succeed with a part time effort in each of these areas? 

I participated in a weekend-long indie yarn pop-up shop celebrating the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival at The Knot House this past weekend. I met some incredible fiber artists who create their own colorful lines of yarn for knitting enthusiasts like me. Based on our conversations, I realize they face similar time-consuming choices in making and marketing their creative businesses. Finding a balance and focusing on the most important tasks is the trick. 

Education, organization and compartmentalization have been the key for me to tackle each full time endeavor.  I talk to other artists and creative people I know to share ideas on methods they use. I’ve taken some professional workshops to gain insight on improving my skills in unfamiliar territory. I’m working on streamlining a system to achieve the necessary steps for marketing my creations and carving out specific time to undertake these tasks. And finally, I’m conjuring all my yoga-inspired focus to stay in the moment and be present in the activity I’m working on and letting go of the distractions that so often lure me away from my goal. 

Mother's Day gives me an extra chance to reflect on my Mom. Even though it's grainy -- I love this picture of us. She was my original role model for balancing all the full time jobs of life -- job, family and home. As a single mother, she made it all work to the best of her ability. It wasn't always perfect -- but I realize even more now since her death -- the journey toward managing all these full time pursuits is choosing the most important tasks and learning to say no to the distractions. 

A Happy Medium

I’ve been knitting about as long as I’ve had my hands in clay (over 40 years) and I’m passionate about both art crafts. I recently participated in a yarn tips and tricks class taught by Veronika Jobe of Yoth Yarns at The Knot House in Frederick, Md. In addition to learning some new techniques I started thinking about how the business of knitting has evolved over the years, especially with the internet, and specialized websites like Ravelry (a yarn-lovers mecca!).

I've knitted lots of sweaters over the years. My yarn and needles have carried me through sporting events, air travel and long car rides. Now, I usually end each day with some stitching. 

The world wide web has created opportunities for all kinds of yarn craft enthusiasts to learn, practice, exchange ideas and sell in an industry that used to be mostly brick and mortar-based. Along the way, I’ve sold some knitted garments I’ve made here and there, but never really pursued it as a occupation. Maybe if I were starting on that path today, I would think about it differently and develop a fiber business dying wool, selling yarn and knitting patterns.

Sweater patterns are one way fiber enthusiasts profit from their craft these days. I created this pattern based on a sweater vest I saw and liked long before that trend. 

Marshall McLuhan’s theory ‘The medium is the message’ has stuck with me since I first learned it in college.  Wikipedia sums it up this way. “…the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived.” McLuhan was talking about ‘media’ and that the delivery system of a message was critical as well as the content of the message. Think newspaper vs. television vs. radio vs. internet as the different forms of media and how that shapes the delivery of a message.

I've combined my passion for fibre and clay by edging this rectangular vessel with stitched leather cord. 

Should have, could have, would have. Instead of looking back at art and media choices I've made in the past, I continue to be happy, challenged and satisfied with the ceramic art world. The business side of ceramics has also evolved since I began. Similar opportunities for widening the scope of interaction and sales around the world have opened up through the internet. It's just a matter of keeping up with it all! 

Clay is the medium I have chosen to express and sell my inner art. Daily knitting continues to be my personal downtime.