I referred to pottery as "work" the other day. Someone asked me if I were going to do something last Saturday and my response was, "No. I can't. I have to work." I'd always said that if pottery ever started feeling like work that I would quit, so I guess I need to make some adjustments in my thinking. I think my response was mostly a way to concisely explain why I couldn't do whatever thing it was that I was being asked. It is simply quicker to say, "No. I can't. I have to work." than to say, "No. I choose not to do that because I want to be at the pottery studio making things and maybe selling things."
Realistically, pottery is becoming work. I'm beginning to re-define myself. I still answer with "I teach math," most of the time when I'm asked what I do, but now I think about the context of the question more. Depending on the location and situation, the answer sometimes needs to be, "I am a potter." I remember getting really confused looks from people at Buffalo Creek Gallery when shoppers asked me what I did and I answered with, "I'm a math teacher." It took me a while to figure out why they were so surprised with that answer. I am used to somewhat negative reactions when I mention that I teach math, but these people were in an art gallery run by artists and there I was saying, "I'm a math instructor at CCC."
I think that I mentioned this in another blog post a few years ago, that someone introduced me to another potter one time something like this: "Susan makes nice pots. She's also a runner." I had no idea who he was talking about. Is there another Susan here somewhere? Then it hit me, Ron didn't know me as a math teacher. To this guy, I was a pottery student. AND he said that I make nice pots. Obviously I'm still enjoying that compliment.
Saying that pottery is becoming work doesn't necessarily mean that I dread doing it. The word "work" doesn't need to imply stuff that you hate to do. Seriously, if you hate your work or dread going to work every day, you need to find other work to do. Does that mean that I am excited about everything that I need to do at the studio? NO! There are things that I do not enjoy but do because they need doing. Processing glazes and reclaiming clay fit into this category. On the whole though, pottery is still very enjoyable. I work hard at it and hope that I always will.
I spent Wednesday in the pottery studio instead of my office. I worked. I was tired at the end of the day. Here's what a potter/math teacher can do when given an extra 8 hours in the studio. So far this week, I have completed the following:
1. Load and fire a bisque fire. (No pictures of that) Man, I've got a lot of work to glaze now.
2. Process 3 more of the glazes that Doby gave me last week. I worked on EP Rutile (a yellow), Bronze Green Matte, and Nutmeg.
3. Throw 6 mugs and 2 small pitchers.
4. Put handles on 6 mugs...
...and 2 pitchers.
5. Throw 2 plates and 2 pitchers of different sizes.
6. Trim the plates (no picture of the trimming) and get handles on the pitchers.
7. Throw the parts for a good sized cookie jar.
8. Pack up the pieces that didn't sell in the Treasures of the Earth Show and Sale at the Arts Council. I had an empty box going home! That means things sold. Yipee!
9. Taught another pottery lesson. That's 2 now. Today, she taught me something. I'll share that when I have a picture to show.
10. Laugh at Lisa and Gail using scotch tape to make a handle to dip the rim of a bowl in glaze when there isn't enough foot to hold on to. Who thinks of things like this? I've learned new uses for dental floss and now tape from these 2. Priceless!
Believe it or not, there are things that I hoped to do that I ran out of time for. Namely that cookie jar. I want to finish that cookie jar and lid. Perhaps tomorrow. Oh yeah. Then there's the glazing. I've got to get started on glazing.
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