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If you could turn back time, what would you do differently in your ceramic art life? | Q.O.W. 1/16/2013


Guest JBaymore

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Guest JBaymore

Hindsight is always 20/20........................

 

 

If you could turn back time, what would you do differently in your ceramic art life?

 

Check out joining the Potters Council ( www.potterscouncil.org ) for more networking possibilities, peer mentoring opportunities, discounts on books, magazines, and DVDs, health insurance, credit card merchant programs, and many other member benefits.

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Hindsight is always 20/20........................

 

 

If you could turn back time, what would you do differently in your ceramic art life?

 

Check out joining the Potters Council ( www.potterscouncil.org ) for more networking possibilities, peer mentoring opportunities, discounts on books, magazines, and DVDs, health insurance, credit card merchant programs, and many other member benefits.

 

 

 

I would have started it 30 years ago. I am 57 now and just starting out.

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I was offered a ceramics teaching job at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario the day after I signed a contract to return to high school teaching. Thunder Bay had lots of sawmills, and I could have built a few wood kilns and fired a lot more pottery. I don't really have any other regrets. Maybe I should have married Myrna when I was 17 and she was 18, but I think she just wanted to get out of her parents' house.:lol:src="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif">

TJR.

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I have thought about this in the past but never came up with a definitive answer. My father didn't even believe women should go to high school so I had to work and pay my own way from the age of 16 and then he took half my pay for living at home. I went to college on some scholarships and part time for years before I finished. I often wondered if I could of worked harder, avoided marriage and children and had a more successful career in clay. I don't think I would change any thing I have a wonderful husband who supports me in every way and a son who thinks I can make anything out of clay.

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Maybe I should have purchased a farm with natural gas in the area of my family roots in W.Va. rather than a teaching career.

Why does Cher 's song keep becoming an ear worm?

At 63, 64 in 2 weeks, I really don't have many regrets. I have had a very rewarding career that I am happy to have expereinced..

other ear worm is the Beatles "64" !

Marcia

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Maybe I should have purchased a farm with natural gas in the area of my family roots in W.Va. rather than a teaching career.

Why does Cher 's song keep becoming an ear worm?

At 63, 64 in 2 weeks, I really don't have many regrets. I have had a very rewarding career that I am happy to have expereinced..

other ear worm is the Beatles "64" !

Marcia

 

 

The only Cher song that comes to mind is; "Thieves, thieves, tramps and thieves." What song are you referring to?:osrc="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif">

TJR.

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Maybe I should have purchased a farm with natural gas in the area of my family roots in W.Va. rather than a teaching career.

Why does Cher 's song keep becoming an ear worm?

At 63, 64 in 2 weeks, I really don't have many regrets. I have had a very rewarding career that I am happy to have expereinced..

other ear worm is the Beatles "64" !

Marcia

 

 

The only Cher song that comes to mind is; "Thieves, thieves, tramps and thieves." What song are you referring to?:osrc="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif">

TJR.

 

"If I could turn back time" ....

Marcia

 

 

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The only Cher song that comes to mind is; "Thieves, thieves, tramps and thieves." What song are you referring to?:osrc="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif">

TJR.

 

 

Too many thieves - it's "Gypsies, tramps and thieves".

 

Like some others, I wish I'd started sooner; but I enjoy myself, 'tis all that matters really. (insert working smiley emoticon here).

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Maybe I would have benefited by starting earlier, but my life now is a distillation of all prior triumphs and defeats, as my art is a distillation of everything I learned and did in that chequered life. I really don't think a change would be beneficial, unless all that I've learned in life and art--to date--would still be a part of me. I am what I am.

 

Shirley

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I would have taken more Ceramics classes in college. I had a great instructor in the class I did take, but I wish I would have had more experience, especially considering, I have taught all the Ceramics class in every teaching job I've had.

There was a Glaze Calc. class, that would have been interesting, though they only accepted so many students, and I don't think I had enough experience, to take it. I also could, and should have taken the second Ceramics course my school offered. It would have been a different teacher, but I would have learned more. Instead, I took a Life Drawing class, because one of my friends talked me into it. It ended up being my worse art grade, and college grade overall, because, apparently, the instructor thought disappearing from the class every five minutes, qualified as teaching, and offering feedback.

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After 40 years in clay mostly full time I can say in about this order

 

 

Met my wife earlier in life-married late at 48-first marriage for both.

 

Wish I build my car kiln a few years earlier say 75 not 1980

wish I knew about advancers before 15 years ago like in the 80s

I wish I got a van sooner as it saves the back instead of crawling in and out of truck beds-this is such a true point and also just use it for pottery never unload.

Left my area for distant shows 35 years ago instead of 25 (more money for time spent then selling locally)

Built my shop addition sooner than 15 years ago

Never injured my wrist earlier in life ( I have no idea when or how)

 

 

Most of these on the list help your back which I abused for so long-its very strong now but there have been a few ups and downs.

As one who caught the clay bug in High school and have done life my way in all regards especially with clay there is little I would change.

Mark

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Maybe I should have purchased a farm with natural gas in the area of my family roots in W.Va. rather than a teaching career.

Why does Cher 's song keep becoming an ear worm?

At 63, 64 in 2 weeks, I really don't have many regrets. I have had a very rewarding career that I am happy to have expereinced..

other ear worm is the Beatles "64" !

Marcia

 

 

The only Cher song that comes to mind is; "Thieves, thieves, tramps and thieves." What song are you referring to?:osrc="http://ceramicartsdaily.org/community/public/style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif">

TJR.

 

"If I could turn back time" ....

Marcia

 

Oh, yeah! That's the one. Makes more sense. Insert working smiley emoticom here.

TJR.

 

 

 

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Hindsight is always 20/20........................

 

 

If you could turn back time, what would you do differently in your ceramic art life?

 

Check out joining the Potters Council ( www.potterscouncil.org ) for more networking possibilities, peer mentoring opportunities, discounts on books, magazines, and DVDs, health insurance, credit card merchant programs, and many other member benefits.

 

 

I might have gotten that MFA, but at the time, raising a family, residency requirements and all. Probably not. Otherwise, I had a great time teaching ceramics, and have a comfortable retirement with a great wife.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

I would have gone to college for ceramics and Metalsmithing, instead of English, and done art for a living. Can't take it back though, but those who,start young are so lucky!

Nancy

 

 

Dear All,

 

Built my studio bigger.

 

Nelly

 

Ditto. But even if it were twice as big, it would still be full.

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I'm with you on that one, people are always asking me why I didn't build a bigger studio and I tell them it would be just as full. Denice

 

 

Dear All,

 

I think in many ways it is like having a big house. While I dream of an even bigger studio in the same way I would love a bigger house--who would clean it?? And then there is the repeated organization we all do in trying to utilize the space we have. Perhaps having it smaller is best. I work on the premiss of get it done and get it out and living somewhere else to keep on top of collecting to much stuff. It helps.

 

Know that if there was a service in my town that offered studio cleaning once per week for a really cheap rate, I would be the first one at the door. While I try to be really meticulous in my cleaning, it seems it could always be a little better. I like working in an area where my lungs do not have the potential to be overly exposed to dry clay. Even though I wet mop regularly, dry clay is still in our studio environment. And maybe more windows in the studio would be helpful as well. And a hepa filter overhead. wink.gif

 

Nelly

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I am a young one in this crowd, being only 27, but I will say even now I look back and would have things different. I found my love for clay in highschool but wasted a lot of time in college not being focused. I would definitely have changed that. I didnt have the best of professors my first go around in college (she was a crazy alcoholic) and if I would have known the other Ceramics Prof was amazing I would have ensured I was in her class. I would change the amount of time I spent outside the glaze room and from monitoring firings. I cant imagine how much more advanced I would be right now if I would of had focus the past ten years. Yet I will say that even though Im not where I would want to be experience wise in ceramics I am kinda thankful for my past. Ive always been a dabbler and even though my focus sucked I still had great curiosity to try new things and if I actually was focused on clay I would probably have never dabbled in wood working, metallurgy, silk screening, painting etc. Now I enjoy having many avenues of creativity, not a master of any, but still feel I have the talent required to take them on.

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