Wednesday, June 26, 2013

All Us Potters


All our pots got a place in the fire
Some glaze low, some vitrify 'er
Some collect ash in the middle of the pyre
Some are turned, or coiled -- shaped with anything we’ve got now

Listen as you tap and the pottery rings
Pitchers, bowls, plates, and the decorative things
Used by us paupers, and treasured by our kings
And it marks our histories.

All our pots got a place in the fire
Some glaze low, some vitrify 'er
Some collect ash in the middle of the pyre
Some are turned, or coiled -- shaped with anything we’ve got now

Fired through the night time, thrown in the day,
Start out by centering then you’re on your way.
Quietly at work with not a lot to say
(Sometimes) the potter simply talks to himself

All our pots got a place in the fire
Some glaze low, some vitrify 'er
Some collect ash in the middle of the pyre
Some are turned, or coiled -- shaped with anything we’ve got now

(apologies to Bill Staines)







Sunday, June 16, 2013

Thinking Outside The Box


Creative people think outside the box, don't we?  I mean, isn't that one of our very defining elements?  Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, and Thinking Outside The Box.

Well, I'm trying something.  I'm using my Etsy account to offer slip-decorating workshops.  I don't know if it will work.  I don't know what I haven't thought of.  That's the nature of being outside the box.  I haven't been here yet, and neither has anyone else.


But working with slip is what I do.  I've done it so much and for so long, it's almost who I am.  Elemental.  Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, and Slip-Decorating.

It's essentially a pretty open-ended offering -- allowing whomever is interested to customize the kind of workshop they want me to conduct:  Hands on or simple demonstration and lecture.

And I'm using the "Shipping" portion of the Etsy listing to negotiate the travel and lodging expenses.

I've never been in the "in crowd" of workshop presenters, so I had no idea what might seem reasonable.  I asked around, but got no replies, so I'm shooting in the dark.  I didn't want to seem presumptuous.  Neither did I want to propose what might turn out to ultimately be a losing venture.

 I merely figured that if I don't do something like this, I would be taking a job or jobs by wintertime.  As such, I tried to figure out how much I might be paying myself.....and whether that would be any better or worse than a local minimum wage job or jobs.  I hope I'm solving more than exacerbating my situation, huh?


Anyway, I'd like some feedback.  What have I not thought about?  How will I get burned?  Is this a winning idea?  (It seemed like a good idea when I dreamed it up on the way home from my South Carolina show).