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In reviewing older topics I came upon a post by our Chris Campbell. The topic was about books or movies featuring potters:

 

Chris Campbell: “not to be negative BUT ... What really irks me is when they want to show a character is flakey or easily dismissed, they use their love of pottery to prove it ... In one book I read the potter has been around for 50 years but nobody bothers to ask him what he saw or heard because he's the artsy potter right?â€

 

What do you think: Is a potter's life simple? Or, worse: "Are potters simple(tons)..."

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Creativity requires a lot of thinking, self reflection, world orientation, persistant and curiousity.

That doesn't make life simple nor difficult. You just need to have a certain personality, a certain view at the world.

I would say a potters life is natural to the ones who truely follow their heart

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I have seen both sides of this so my answer is -not that simple to answer 

Speaking for myself no but pottery is not all I do its just what I do for a living.

 

The other part of the question is this a potter who plays with clay or makes a living at it?

One can be simple the other not so much.

If you have a quest to learn it all then-kiln building- accounting-glaze formulation-clay body making-slip casting-working with plaster-mastering throwing-shop building- wood working-metal working-gas plumbing-carpentry skills-reclaiming clay-buying materials and mastering their use-firing-reduction and electric-raku-pit firing- High and low fire-mastering salt firing -making bricks and clay-reading all the books- Taxes-making your way in the world so this is your sole income-well then yes its quite simple .

Now taking a few classes and playing with clay-well I know knowing about that simple part- seems like easy pizzy

 

I think the real question is what is your relationship with clay.

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I am not going to rant, I am not going to rant,

 

Number #1 selling books/ movies: Harry Potter <<<< Potter.  A person who makes pottery.

 

Nerd.... whew..I made it.

 

Passion is the difference between art and reproductions.  ( Okay...small rant )

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"Its we as humans; who make our life complicated",be it any profession hardships follows so for Potters too.

 

 

Let us then be up and doing

With a heart for any fate

Still achieving still pursuing

Learn to labor and wait......(Longfellow)

 

Nonetheless,Its we who simplify and make it beautiful.

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I love this quote by Herbert Read which is displayed at the Everson museum of ceramic Art in Syracuse.

"Pottery is at once the simplest and the most difficult of all arts. It is the simplest because it is the most elemental; it is the most difficult because it is the most abstract."

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I recently had a beer with a group of mature female pottery collegues.  I found it intriguing that we seemed to agree on many things that were not typical of today's female mindset.  A good example is that we all thought that spending a bunch of money on a fancy wedding was a waste of money and effort.  A simple ceremony appealed to us all.

So maybe potters do tend to be "simple" folk.

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