Downtime

This past week I’ve been attending to more of the business side of clay than the creative. Packing and shipping up long-distance orders, gathering with other artists in a local group show, delivering extra inventory to local shops that help sell ClayByLaura, and attending to some nagging computer problems that seemed to be worsening. 

Viewing the overall 'body of work' that has blossomed from the studio is gratifying.

My computer has been more and more sluggish recently. Some research determined I needed a new hard drive and extra memory. It’s one of those pieces of equipment I know how to use but don’t fully understand. The computer experts at a local shop completed the necessary work and now I am able to click on my keyboard with immediate response from my applications. 

Once I get back to clay, I'll be working on this new egg tray design I created for a special customer. Is it an item you'd like to use too? Click on the photo to let me know or even share your favorite deviled egg recipe!

I even tackled a few sewing projects I’ve been wanting to work on. Clay is currently on the back burner. I’ve got several special orders brewing to draw me back to the slab roller. But for now, it feels like a welcome break to step away for a short time and rejuvenate. I can relate the way my computer was slowly responding to my typing finger’s commands. The flurry of activity at the end of the year can bog us all down. This time away from clay will help me strengthen my own creative drive and ability to work on the variety of new custom orders awaiting my return to the clay studio. 

Shiny Objects

I think it’s safe to say we are in high-season of ‘shiny objects’. The sparkly holiday lights brighten early darkness and festoon neighborhoods and businesses with a magical effect. The excess of edible treats is abundant at parties, office gatherings, and annual religious occasions. Merchants bombard us with reminders to choose just the right item for our entire list of gift recipients. If you are like me, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

So what’s the best approach? It’s sometimes easier said than done. Overall, what I try to do is personalize my participation during this season of overload. I’ve found it’s okay to say no to outside pressures bombarding us to create the perfect memory for the holidays. What is best for me may not resonate with your own tolerance and desires. Take note of what you enjoy about the holidays and do that. If there are ‘shiny objects’ you don’t really like, you can eliminate them.

Donations are another way I override the excesses of this season. Gifts to a charity in the name of  a family member or friend accomplishes much more than searching for a present just for the sake of giving someone something to unwrap. These kinds of lasting gifts are meaningful tenfold.

As I finish up a prolific year in the studio, I want to make sure I thank all of you for your encouragement, ideas, orders, and overall support. It has been a great year of creativity for me. I am one lucky clay artist!

Finding Community

This past week and the days ahead are loaded with communities that have intersected my life. Moving has enabled me to expand these groups of connections and even overlap them as they grow. Changing locations hasn’t meant I lose out on circles of friendships I’ve forged (which I was afraid of). Discovering new kindred spirits in every locale has made me a better person and clay artist. 

Visit the charming studio of jeweler Stacey Krantz to shop a fantastically curated group of local artists throughout the month of December. It's located at 6801 Maryland Avenue in Braddock Heights, Maryland.

Finding and expanding community takes time and some motivation. As the creature of habit that I tend to be, it’s easy to remain in a familiar circle of people and experiences that feels comfortable. But each time I’ve explored a new community (meaning both a physical area and the people living and working there), I have been fortunate to connect with a variety of folks that impact my life in a truly positive way.

I'll be returning to one of my original communities this Saturday to participate in a fantastic holiday boutique. Calling on all my DC-area 'peeps' to visit me there!

As my community has grown, so too has my clay art. The expansion is like hitting the refresh button on your computer. I’m reinvigorated, my creativity flourishes, and I’ve gained an abundance of friends. Finding and broadening community is possible. You just have to seek it out. 

Naughty Or Nice?

My long holiday weekend ended at the theatre with a preview of the Broadway-bound musical Mean Girls. The production capped off days of family, friends, food, and fond memories. It pinpointed the underlying message this holiday season seems to encourage. Let’s just all be nice to each other and not just during the holiday season. Niceness is always the preference. Period.

In between cooking, and lots of togetherness, I was able to keep up with some special orders in process. I always love a new challenge and when I was asked to create a number of ‘ugly sweater ornaments’ as a party favor for a holiday gathering, I jumped at the chance. This is where my ongoing collection of stamps comes in handy. I mixed up the design of each ornament, applied a variety of contrasting color and voila – these beautiful ugly sweater ornaments came to life.

Here is another holiday ornament I'm preparing for a customer. These will be distributed to a special list of her clients. It seems the message of cooperation and working together is a theme in the studio right now!

The message I picked up from Mean Girls is this: Making someone else feel bad to build up our own self-value is a lose/lose. Embrace our differences. Talk to each other. Value the uniqueness of individuals. Love yourself and all your flaws. We all have them. Most of all, just be nice.

Personalize It!

Fair Warning. This is probably going to sound old-fashioned. In the days before internet shopping where a click of a mouse can send just about anything to your front door, good one-on-one personal service was an attribute business thrived on. I think about that now when I phone a customer service number for help with a problem. It’s rare to receive a quick, satisfying response from the operator/customer service representative on the other end of the line. Customer service becomes an oxymoron when minutes tick by on hold and you often are shuttled around to different people for your answer. 

In need of expert kiln repair? Click on photo for details.

When responsive, quick action does happen, that is notable. Lucky for me, I had that type of experience this past week with a kiln repair service. After a month of pursuing a local company to come to the studio and replace the heating elements of my kiln (a pricey endeavor), I realized I was getting the runaround. One phone call to the manufacturer of L and L Kilns led me to Jay Batterden who immediately returned my phone call and was replacing my kiln elements less than a week later. It was a pleasure doing business with Jay. He is a former ceramics instructor in a nearby school system and built his kiln repair business on the side. Now it’s his full-time gig. He had all the right tools, experience and knowledge to replace the heating coils of my kiln.

Want to add a little personalization to a package you're wrapping this holiday season? You can add your own special message to the back of each of these unique gift tags. A pack of five containing a gingerbread man, snowman, snowflake, tree, and ornament is $15. Click on the photo to order your set!

 I don’t know why it took me so long to dump the company I first pursued as they strung me along. I’m glad I did. Jay’s business ethic reminds me to adhere to the personal service goal I like to see in others. Of course, it gets back to one of my favorite mottos “treat people the way you’d like to be treated.”  ClayByLaura is personal – it’s me. I promise when you make a purchase of one of my clay creations, I’ll make every effort to make this transaction smooth and problem-free. 

Happy Shopping Season! Remember the small local shops in your area this Saturday!

Creative Frenzy

A wild, wide-ranging mania of activity seems to enter my creative life this time of year. And I like it. Making pottery hits a fevered pitch as I balance each stage of the clay-making process with pushing for deadlines of custom orders, supplementing inventory, and shows. Ideas flow for new projects. The kiln is filled, fired, emptied, refilled and fired continually. 

Some of the custom projects where I've been creatively stuck have become clear and reached completion. In particular, I was asked to design a wall sculpture of a school of fish for a local customer. I knew how I would make the fish, but had not totally settled on the hanging element of the piece. A search through my stash of collected driftwood solved the dilemma, and now this one of a kind artwork hangs in its new home. 

I’ve been playing with different underglaze and glaze combinations. This blue/green is now one of my current favorites. When it is applied to a familiar shape I’ve made in the past, it gives the piece a whole new look. 

Packing pottery for shipment is an art unto itself. This group of 10 packages took several hours of attention. I want each package to survive the rigors of long-distance travel. A combination of bubble wrap, packing paper, shipping peanuts, protective cardboard, and the appropriate box help provide the protection that ensures the pottery arrives safe and sound. Still, I hold my breath each time I send my creations off to their new homes.

Would you like to join the frenzy? If you've been considering a special ClayByLaura piece as a gift for yourself or someone else, now is the time to let me know. Click on the photo above to send me a message and begin! I'd love to create a special piece just for you.

The Company You Keep

I was reminded this week that I am surrounded by incredibly talented people in my life. Each of them holds a unique gift that not only makes them super special but intersect with my own creative pursuits. All of these people have showed up in my circle of friendship at an opportune time. Let me tell you about them:

Mike Taylor and I met back at Gunston Junior High School. We lost touch after high school and reconnected at a few reunion celebrations. Mike is a director and producer of a whole range of audio-visual pieces from commercials to films. His company is called Potomac Pictures. He just finished production of a short promotional video of ClayByLaura for me. It not only captures the process I use for creating but visually highlights my studio and finished pieces. Want one of these for your business promotion? Click on this photo or link to contact Mike and sort out the details!

Margaret Hluch and I met through our mutual connection to The Muse. Her studio/work-space is where I've taught (and taken) a few Crafting Parties in Frederick, Md. Margaret just opened a show of her colorful and intricate weavings at The Muse this past weekend. “Back to Old Tricks” describes her return to this fiber art form she has mastered so well.  Not only does Margaret painstakingly paint the threads to begin the process, the weaving and composition take hours and hours of dedicated talent. Plan a trip to Frederick, Md. for the opportunity to see these colorful weavings in person. It is worth the trip! Luckily, I nabbed one of her pieces to grace the walls of my studio. Click on this photo to read a recent interview with Margaret.

Whitney Dahlberg is the owner and inspiration behind The Muse. I frequently mention her or the shop in every other blog post I write! It’s easy to cheerlead for someone when you love and admire them.  Whitney's business has thrived for 15 years in Frederick, Md. That accomplishment alone speaks volumes about her. But what I find so special about this creative entrepreneur are her own artistic talents creating fiber art, her dedication to the world of craft and crafters, and her continuous support of me and my own clay pursuits. Whitney has begun writing a column for the local paper about using craft to help you find some calm in your own life. Check out her latest column by clicking on the photo above.

I'm thankful for all the people that keep me company in my life. Each of you has a hand in making me a better person, encouraging my creativity and supporting my clay business. Thank you! Here's another chance to view my new video. Click, view, and let me know what you think!

Reading Some Meaning Into Words

These three words summarize how I feel this time of year when my emotions run the gamut. It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a pottery giveaway. Read to the end of the blog to see which ClayByLaura Club member will receive a package of these small bowls this week!

It’s been a busy week back in the studio. Pottery from the Huntsville show is unpacked, new ClayByLaura inventory has been delivered to The Muse in Frederick and my hands have been back in clay to begin creating the variety of special orders I received on my trip. I had to reorder another half a ton (yes, 1000 lbs) of clay from my supplier because I’ve used up that amount since June. The pressure to create pottery and also embrace the bounty of positive holiday spirit can be overwhelming at times leading to some bah-humbug moments.

Falalalala sums up the cheerful attitude I also embrace this time of year. Preparations for upcoming holiday shows continue including a wrap bracelet-making craft party on November 5 in Frederick hosted byThe Muse; a private demonstration for a tour group visiting Frederick November 9; a month-long Holiday open studio hosted by Stacy Krantz of InBloom jewelry; and a fun craft show at Calvary Methodist Church December 9 in my childhood Arlington, Virginia neighborhood. I may squeeze in another show and my own open studio too. (Of course, if there is something you'd like me to make for you, let me know. I ship my pieces throughout the US!) I do like this flurry of activity.

What I believe about the upcoming holidays is they encourage togetherness, shared traditions, great food, and time spent with family. What could be better than that?  For me, the holiday season has begun. I’ve been sampling the Kit Kat bars in anticipation of our neighborhood trick or treaters. I’m working on the details of the Thanksgiving menu I’ll host for our family.  Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Years are not far behind. Maybe you experience all these conflicting emotions too. I think it's probably normal.

Congratulations Lee! I'll be sending you a package to help you kick off your own holiday spirit too! Are you a member of the ClayByLaura club? If you'd like a chance to win some pottery and receive other club benefits, click on the photo to join in!