An Achilles' heel of my work process in the past has been my sloooow work cycle. Habits of daily life for years as a full time parent and part time potter have been pretty firmly entrenched and ARE hard to break. But enough excuses! I've been cleaning up my act. Old habits. Feh. It comes down to this: with my own venues available now- website and The Gallery Downstairs- and, face it, me not getting any younger, that nose to the grindstone thing is getting realer.
A snippet of to-do list from my blackboard easel. Some of it has been there for a while...
It's a challenge 'losing the laze'. It's like eating a certain way for decades and then finally understanding that a strict diet is necessary because your metabolism has changed. In the same way, the time that passes between making and firing the work, then glazing it and firing again, is getting blessedly shorter. Trust me, this is a really good thing. I have to work smarter to get it all done, and "down times" away from studio and gallery and website have to be shorter, too. Grandkids to visit or not...
I always wanted a magic wand when I was a child, to get my homework and chores done with a fwhissh and a swooosh, but this is different. True, the creating with fresh clay is the part I like best. But unloading a successful kiln has grown to be as important as making the ware in the early stages. Because if I don't finish it and get it on the shelves and advertise it, it's not going to be sold. And then I won't have the wherewithal to make more.
Have to mix up fresh glaze batches, and glaze these tomorrow. (Colors already on them are underglazes, not topcoats.) Truth- I do not like glazing, but it is the sizzle on the steak.
And the office sure is a mess. New bags need a home and I need to decide to keep or discard the old chicken-wire mug pyramid... Truth: I do not like organizing, but it keeps my head clear to work in an organized space.
No calling to chat tomorrow. I've got to be a lean, mean, working machine.