Chris Campbell Posted January 1, 2012 Report Share Posted January 1, 2012 This is a good time to think about what you would like to accomplish in 2012. NO, not a resolution ... a statement of intent. Your goal can be as simple as making one cylinder with even sides and bottom or as complex as you can imagine. If it is a complex one then take the time to write down all the baby steps you need to do to get to the big goal. Make sure they are reasonable and can be achieved in the time frame you allot them. Say you have the goal of getting a personal "look" to your pottery .... January 1 - Take out all your pottery and choose the best most pleasing pieces. 2 - Decide which ones would look good together on a shelf. 3 - Decide which ones you could stand to make over and over; which ones have potential for exploration. February 4 - Start making them, judging the results and editing. March / April 5 - Once you have the forms, work on the glazes. May /June 6 - Test glazes until you find your look. July / Aug 7 - Start glazing the desired forms. Draw a fat line through each step when you are done so you can enjoy your progress. There is an enormous power in taking the time to physically write down what you would like to accomplish this year as well as enormous satisfaction in seeing it done next January when you sit down to do it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kabe Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 This is a good time to think about what you would like to accomplish in 2012. NO, not a resolution ... a statement of intent. Your goal can be as simple as making one cylinder with even sides and bottom or as complex as you can imagine. If it is a complex one then take the time to write down all the baby steps you need to do to get to the big goal. Make sure they are reasonable and can be achieved in the time frame you allot them. Say you have the goal of getting a personal "look" to your pottery .... January 1 - Take out all your pottery and choose the best most pleasing pieces. 2 - Decide which ones would look good together on a shelf. 3 - Decide which ones you could stand to make over and over; which ones have potential for exploration. February 4 - Start making them, judging the results and editing. March / April 5 - Once you have the forms, work on the glazes. May /June 6 - Test glazes until you find your look. July / Aug 7 - Start glazing the desired forms. Draw a fat line through each step when you are done so you can enjoy your progress. There is an enormous power in taking the time to physically write down what you would like to accomplish this year as well as enormous satisfaction in seeing it done next January when you sit down to do it again. Wow! Maybe this would help me to stop circling my studio like a lost child in a Deptment store asking myself "What next" Good post, Good advice. ain't clay fun Kabe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 My goal for 2012 is to re-retire and focus on my own work. I am thinking of a series on the Border fence in Raku with raw black clay for the fence. his section of the fence splits a farmer from 700 acres of his farm. The farm is on the South side of the border fence. His wife is afraid to go on that side because of the illegals passing through and the drug trafficking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 Still getting the "OOPS" messages even when I am signing off. Here is the second image of the border fence that goes through our campus, and our city. This is downtown in our city and detoured the plans for a River walk along the Rio Grande. It is half a block from the only commercial gallery in town. I am applying to residencies to have a concentrated time to focus and create a body of work for an exhibition. A year of intense teaching has caused a great desire to get back to my own work in th studio. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klen11 Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 That seems like a fun goal for the year. Are you planning to full up a whole shelf? haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 That seems like a fun goal for the year. Are you planning to full up a whole shelf? haha Actually, I plan to fill a gallery. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 Still getting the "OOPS" messages even when I am signing off. Here is the second image of the border fence that goes through our campus, and our city. This is downtown in our city and detoured the plans for a River walk along the Rio Grande. It is half a block from the only commercial gallery in town. I am applying to residencies to have a concentrated time to focus and create a body of work for an exhibition. A year of intense teaching has caused a great desire to get back to my own work in th studio. Marcia Marcia, Sounds like you learned something from the teaching-if nothing more than when to take a sabbatical! The fence idea looks intriguing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted January 2, 2012 Report Share Posted January 2, 2012 Pres, When I retired the first time 11 years ago, I decided to try residencies every so often just to be around other artists. I did have two sabbaticals while I was teaching over a 25 year period. On the first sabbatical, I lived in Spain for a year documenting traditional potters in 48 locations all over the country and made a book of drawings. The second sabbatical I split between a 3 month residency in Banff and a 5 month teaching Fulbright in Uzbekistan. I have had 4 or 5 residencies since I retired. This year's teaching job has been harder than when I taught in Montana, with heavier class loads and more ARt History responsibilities. This Spring I have 90 in ARt Appreciation, 10, in Intermediate Ceramics, 10 in Advanced Ceramics and 23 in Topics in contemporary Art History. No help grading 90 students. The border issue is a big thing here. This area has been an open border until recently with families on both sides of the river. The saddest thing is to see farms split by the fence, farms that go back to Spanish land grants and that have been in the same families for centuries. Pres. Polk is the one that moved the border from the Nueces to the Rio Grande. It isn't like the people moved. The border moved. The fence is ugly and the fact that the gates have never been installed means it doesn't really stop anyone. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinah Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 I love the idea of Marcia's La Linea in ceramica idea. What a challenge. It would be a great project to get 1000s involved and hang up their tiles all along the border in public places -- paying for the priviledge so the funds could be put towards benefitting young people on both sides of the border and fostering arts education collaboration. If there are walkways and bridges they could be embellished with bricks and tiles commemorating efforts and struggles. I think I read of a recent arts collaboration with Israeli and Palistinian youth participating in an orchestra and performing concerts on both sides. My goal is to maintain momentum and continue to make pieces which inspire and delight me. I trust my judgment and choices, and enjoy building on each trenche of work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 I love the idea of Marcia's La Linea in ceramica idea. What a challenge. It would be a great project to get 1000s involved and hang up their tiles all along the border in public places -- paying for the priviledge so the funds could be put towards benefitting young people on both sides of the border and fostering arts education collaboration. If there are walkways and bridges they could be embellished with bricks and tiles commemorating efforts and struggles. I think I read of a recent arts collaboration with Israeli and Palistinian youth participating in an orchestra and performing concerts on both sides. My goal is to maintain momentum and continue to make pieces which inspire and delight me. I trust my judgment and choices, and enjoy building on each trenche of work. I will talk to my friend at the historical museum who sponsors the Ambos lados del Rio exhibition every year. But it is fairly exclusive...not many (any) gringettes. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen B Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 Pres, When I retired the first time 11 years ago, I decided to try residencies every so often just to be around other artists. I did have two sabbaticals while I was teaching over a 25 year period. On the first sabbatical, I lived in Spain for a year documenting traditional potters in 48 locations all over the country and made a book of drawings. The second sabbatical I split between a 3 month residency in Banff and a 5 month teaching Fulbright in Uzbekistan. I have had 4 or 5 residencies since I retired. This year's teaching job has been harder than when I taught in Montana, with heavier class loads and more ARt History responsibilities. This Spring I have 90 in ARt Appreciation, 10, in Intermediate Ceramics, 10 in Advanced Ceramics and 23 in Topics in contemporary Art History. No help grading 90 students. The border issue is a big thing here. This area has been an open border until recently with families on both sides of the river. The safest thing is to see farms split by the fence, farms that go back to Spanish land grants and that have been in the same families for centuries. Pres. Polk is the one that moved the border from the Nueces to the Rio Grande. It isn't like the people moved. The border moved. The fence is ugly and the fact that the gates have never been installed means it doesn't really stop anyone. Marcia It is an exciting inspiration with so much emotional, historical and physical energy. I wish you well with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnold Howard Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 Draw a fat line through each step when you are done so you can enjoy your progress. There is an enormous power in taking the time to physically write down what you would like to accomplish this year as well as enormous satisfaction in seeing it done next January when you sit down to do it again. Your previous posts on setting goals have been very helpful, Chris. Thank you. I have learned a lot from writing my 2011 goals though I fulfilled only several of them. I noticed that a momentum began to build toward the end of 2011, and it is carrying over into 2012. I believe that momentum will help me to achieve more goals in 2012. So, writing my 2011 goals was still powerful. Sincerely, Arnold Howard Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinah Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 I agree, writing down goals, ideas for work, and reflecting are invaluable skills. Thanks, Chris, for pushing all of us on this forum along the necessary steps towards self appraisal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diana Ferreira Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 I bought myself an A5 sketch pad and a 0.05 mm drawing pen earlier this week. My 'rule' is that the book must be in my bag at all times, so that I can make notes and drawings as and when they pop into my head. By doing this, I will be able to keep all ideas in one space, and I can prop the book open next to me when I am busy creating new shapes, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnold Howard Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 This is a good time to think about what you would like to accomplish in 2012.NO, not a resolution ... a statement of intent. A week ago I bought a 10-hour audio program on achieving goals. The speaker is the late Napoleon Hill. The cost is only several dollars on iTunes and Amazon. After listening to nine hours on my iPhone, I feel that I know Hill pretty well. (I listen while I drive, wash dishes, etc.) He was a lovable, humorous, grandfatherly character, and the lectures bring his ideas to life. Sincerely, Arnold Howard Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted January 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I wrote an article several years ago about the habits of successful people. In researching I found out that it really did not matter whether you were an athlete, a business person, an artist or a scientist ... the traits that led to eventual success were shared. One of these was they all knew where they were going. They all had a master plan ... they were not wandering around hoping something would kick in ... They had actively and consciously planned. They could be wrong a hundred times but they kept moving forward along their path. Others were smarter, more talented, better connected, but they dropped off when the going got tough. The successful people were stubborn in their march forward because they knew where they were going. If you write it down and keep it in sight you will do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnold Howard Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 One of these was they all knew where they were going. They all had a master plan ... they were not wandering around hoping something would kick in ... They had actively and consciously planned. They could be wrong a hundred times but they kept moving forward along their path. Chris, you've written the essence of the 10-hour Napoleon Hill program that I finished listening to this morning. I started the next audio program on the way to work--Earl Nightingale's "The Essence of Success." It, too, is around 10 hours and costs only a few dollars. I believe potters would find inspiration from these audios. The price is certainly right. Sincerely, Arnold Howard Paragon Industries, L.P., Mesquite, Texas USA ahoward@paragonweb.com / www.paragonweb.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted January 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 I'm going to look for that series Arnold ... sounds like good commuting listening! Another thing that paralyses people is the fear of being wrong. These successful people expected to be wrong sometimes but did not give it the power to stop them. Be wrong, learn, move on ... as often as it took. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJR Posted January 10, 2012 Report Share Posted January 10, 2012 My goal for 2012 is to re-retire and focus on my own work. I am thinking of a series on the Border fence in Raku with raw black clay for the fence. his section of the fence splits a farmer from 700 acres of his farm. The farm is on the South side of the border fence. His wife is afraid to go on that side because of the illegals passing through and the drug trafficking. I thought you were talking about the Canadian border fence. I though"What is she talking about? Is there a fence between Canada and the U.S. now?" Then I realized my mistake. Mexican border fence. Whoops. TJR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinah Posted January 13, 2012 Report Share Posted January 13, 2012 I have Workshop Journal for each new year. Sometimes I paste up images I like, maybe tickets to a play I've attended, words which resonate from others, -- used to write in books read, movies seen -- but now strictly workshop/ceramics based notes. Take it to local Cascade Clay Artists meetings, or any workshop I attend. I put in ideas, drawings, notes about what has worked and what hasn't. Take it to weekly Farmer's Market for notes on orders. One place. One mission. Ceramics. I even secure my post-it notes To Do lists and glaze recipe tips in the Workshop Journal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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