Motivation is a Killer

There comes a time in life when everything around you is going round and round in a complete blur.  Work becomes overwhelming, family obligations become time consuming, and other commitments take over all your 'free-time'.  Often, this is when we lose our motivation to the things we love to do. It is very easy to get pre-occupied with so many obligations that we have that we forget to do things for ourselves.  We often lose the motivation that once pushed us to stay creative, stay active, or stay engaged.  The loss of motivation can come in so many different forms-  it can come from being tired at the end of the day (or the beginning of the day in some cases); it can come from the lack of ideas; it can come from the lack of time.  And it seems to be a cyclic pattern.  One feeds off the other. So how do we overcome?  It's a hard question to answer and one that probably cannot be answered here.  But, I think we need to take some time and reflect on all those things in our lives and determine which are the most important and the most fulfilling.  Which things is our lives are going to keep us going?  Which things are going to put a smile on our face?  And which will bring us happiness, peace, and joy?  Then, once we figure that out, we need to say good-bye to those things are a sucking away our time, our energy, and our spirit.  It may be hard to say farewell or re-organize our lives, but in the end it will benefit you and those around you.  I don't know about you, but I tend to be very cranky when I am unhappy, tired, and searching for the spark I need to get up and go!  

Motivation, however, is tough to sustain without help.  It is very easy to fall into the routine of being lazy and unproductive.  But it is okay to ask for help- for a push or a nudge.  Just as you want to help others- others want to help you.  And it is perfectly okay to ask for it!  It is not a sign of weakness.  I know it is hard.  It is hard for me to ask.  I don't want to burden people or put them out.  But I need to remind myself that I never feel burdened or put out when someone asks me for help.  I am usually happy that they feel that they can come to me and trust me.  In my life, I have found that I need to be pushed.  As such, I work with a trainer to keep me active and healthy.  She helps me to focus on the now and the task at hand.  She helps me gain confidence in myself and my abilities which has made me grow in so many ways.  Now all I need is a pottery trainer....one that will push my limits and keep me going.  But in fact, I do have those trainers, though they may not go by that name---I call them teachers, colleagues, friends.  Remember, each of us has a little "trainer" inside that can push each other to reach our potential.  

I have found that once motivation is lost, it is very hard to get back.  As it has been said, "A body in motion stays in motion.  A body at rest stays at rest."  I can't emphasize how true that is.  In my pottery life, in my personal life, and in my athletic life....once you stop pushing yourself it is very hard to get momentum to start again.  Take it from someone who knows....

The Measure of Success

Often, we measure success by the money we make, the car we drive, the clothes we wear.  We measure success by how much someone paid for a piece of art that we created, how many pieces we can sell at a show, or how many pieces we can make in a day, a week, a month.  Perhaps those are are some measures of success, but do those measures help us grow as artists or as people?  A woman came into the shop today and told me about a dinner party she had, at which he serve her coffee and tea in the handmade mugs she has purchased throughout the years.  She explained how everyone loved them and the fact that they were all so different.  That simple story warmed my heart.  That is success.  This woman told us how much she loved our work, as did her friends.  This is the story that will make me go back to the studio and try to improve my work, try new shapes, and just get my hands in clay again.  It reminds me of why I love putting my hands in clay....so that others can enjoy the warmth of a mug filled with tea, enjoy eating off a beautiful plate to discover the lovely glaze when all their food is gone, or enjoy displaying nature's bounty in a unique one-of-a-kind vase.  That is what makes me happy...the joy of making others happy.  Success can be measured many ways, but perhaps happiness is the only true measure.

What do you like?

I don't know what you like, but I like chocolate....milk, dark, sweet, bitter....cookies, cake, bars, truffles...basically I like chocolate.  In fact, I love chocolate.  I also love pottery.  And just like chocolate it comes in all kinds of flavors and types.  Functional, scupltural...porcleain, stoneware, earthenware....I love it all.  Now, just as I love music...folk, swing, classical, indie rock, country, jazz, blues...there are some types of music that I like better depending on my mood, my environment, and what is going on in my life. And, to be clear, I'm not sure there is a chocolate I don't like.  Years ago, I listened to country music like it was going out of style.  Today, I still enjoy some great country like Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson, but I've grown out of it a little bit.  I don't know why, but I believe it is because I have been exposed to more and more music that I have honed my preferences.  I think the same can be said for art, in our case- pottery.  There are some styles that I absolutely love and want to hold in my hand all day long.  There are, however, others that I admire but it just doesn't hold my attention.  Is that a bad thing?  I don't think so.  It is so important to surround ourselves with a menagerie of pots with different lines, glazes, functions, bodies, etc.  The more we surround ourselves with a wide range of pots, the more we learn from them.  We see how different handles are fashioned, how lids fit, how feet are trimmed, how spouts are formed, how glazes feel.  Whether you love a piece, like it, or hate it...there is something to learn and to admire.  This can be said for any profession or hobby.  If you are a musician, a chef, a potter, a jeweler, a painter, a glass blower-I think you get the idea now-  surround yourself with as much of that media as possible and learn from what you like and from what you don't.  And by the way, I love all the following pieces.  

Ann Perry Smith

Val Cushing

Matt Hoogland

Gay Smith

Ilona Romule

Imperfections Make Perfections

As I sit here at 3rd Street Potters on this cold and frigid day, I sip my hot tea trying to keep warm.  It has been a slow day, not too many people venturing out in the cold, but still I enjoy being among the beautiful pots that sit on the shelves listening to the The Honey Dewdrops, a new music group I discovered last night while at a Wiyos concert (by the way, one of the best bands EVER).  As I mentioned, few people came through the store today but one couple made an impression on me.  As they walked around the store, one woman admired a beautiful bowl.   As she picked it up, she noticed an indentation on the side.  She remarked to her companion of how unique it was, and in reply I heard the companion say, "I suppose imperfections make perfections."

That comment has rattled around in my brain all day.  She was very right.  In all things, it is the imperfections that make the perfections.  What makes anything perfect?  The perfect sky?  The perfect tree?  The perfect song? The perfect pot?  To some the perfect sky is bright blue with not a cloud in sight.  To others it is the sunset full of red, pink, and orange hues.  Which is perfect?  Or are they both imperfect?  To one, the other's perfect is their imperfect.  Who are we to judge?  And we can say the same for people as well.  I may laugh too loud, talk to much, and sing too off key, but to someone they will see that as my perfection and to another the opposite.  And that is okay.  In fact, that is great!!

As I look around this store, I see perfection in each pot.  In each indentation; each glaze, whether matte or glossy; and each brush stroke, ...each one is perfect for they imbibe the personality and character of the maker and the environment at the time of its creation.  And they in fact have their own character and personality, which is....Perfection.

This, I believe, is the perfect thought as we prepare for the 2nd Annual Second Sale.  Next weekend, the 28th and 29th, you will find pots on sale that are described as 'seconds' by their makers.  Perhaps the imperfections of the pots bother the creator just a little too much and they have marked prices down.  But perhaps you will find the imperfections just perfect and you will go home with a piece you can call yours.  We hope to see you there.

2nd Annual Second Sale

Join us this month for our 2nd Annual Second Sale at 3rd Street Potters.  Held on Friday January 28th during Troy Night Out and Saturday January 29th from 9-3.  The sale will include pots that may be a little wobbly, have some dripping glaze, or might just not be perfect in our eyes....though they may be perfect for you!  Still, all functional pots will be fully functional and food safe.  Stop in and take a look.  You may find a pot you love at a reduced price.  What could be better than that?!

New Year...New Beginnings

As 2011 begins, we at 3rd Street Potters want to wish everyone a wonderful New Year.  We hope this year will be full of new opportunity, new work, new friends, and new beginnings.  We had a great end of 2010 and we hope that you will continue to join us as we bring new work into the shop.  We will be have a sale in the next month so keep your eye out for more details.