GEP

As I mentioned in the Events section, I have a big show coming up soon. Lots of good stuff coming out of the kilns now.

I love dry cleaner plastic! As a potter I hardly ever set foot in a dry cleaners, but my NYC sister hooked me up with a large stash. 

I love dry cleaner plastic! As a potter I hardly ever set foot in a dry cleaners, but my NYC sister hooked me up with a large stash. 

I love dry cleaner plastic! As a potter I hardly ever set foot in a dry cleaners, but my NYC sister hooked me up with a large stash. 

As a person of Korean heritage, I wholeheartedly endorse every word of the blog post.
I also get raging mad when people use the term “wasi sabi” to describe something that is simply a poorly made pot. This is the heart of the matter for me. Asian cultures involve a culturally required politeness. We are programmed not to confront, or to express our offense. In my life, I've met many non-Asians who misinterpret this as approval, and somehow manage to extend the misinterpretation as “lower standards,” and  take advantage of it, 
I appreciate her mention of Euan Craig as an example of someone who would never call his work “wabi sabi.”
I don’t think she’s being vitriolic at all. She is offended, and expressing it with reasoned and tempered words. Maybe if more Asian people would stop holding their tongues, and express their offense, it wouldn’t seem vitriolic. 

You understood me just fine. But it’s not just silence/restraint, it’s also the politeness and a desire to not insult. And I’m not your sister.

As a person of Korean heritage, I wholeheartedly endorse every word of the blog post.
I also get raging mad when people use the term “wasi sabi” to describe something that is simply a poorly made pot. This is the heart of the matter for me. Asian cultures involve a culturally required politeness. We are programmed not to confront, or to express our offense. In my life, I've met many non-Asians who misinterpret this as approval, and somehow manage to extend the misinterpretation as “lower standards,” and  take advantage of it, 
I appreciate her mention of Euan Craig as an example of someone who would never call his work “wabi sabi.”
I don’t think she’s being vitriolic at all. She is offended, and expressing it with reasoned and tempered words. Maybe if more Asian people would stop holding their tongues, and express their offense, it wouldn’t seem vitriolic. 

You understood me just fine. But it’s not just silence/restraint, it’s also the politeness and a desire to not insult. And I’m not your sister.

As a person of Korean heritage, I wholeheartedly endorse every word of the blog post.
I also get raging mad when people use the term “wasi sabi” to describe something that is simply a poorly made pot. This is the heart of the matter for me. Asian cultures involve a culturally required politeness. We are programmed not to confront, or to express our offense. In my life, I've met many non-Asians who misinterpret this as approval, and somehow manage to extend the misinterpretation as “lower standards,” and  take advantage of it, 
I appreciate her mention of Euan Craig as an example of someone who would never call his work “wabi sabi.”
I don’t think she’s being vitriolic at all. She is offended, and expressing it with reasoned and tempered words. Maybe if more Asian people would stop holding their tongues, and express their offense, it wouldn’t seem vitriolic. 

As a person of Korean heritage, I wholeheartedly endorse every word of the blog post.
I also get raging mad when people use the term “wasi sabi” to describe something that is simply a poorly made pot. This is the heart of the matter for me. Asian cultures involve a culturally required politeness. We are programmed not to confront, or to express our offense. In my life, I've met many non-Asians who misinterpret this as approval, and somehow manage to extend the misinterpretation as “lower standards,” and  take advantage of it, 
I appreciate her mention of Euan Craig as an example of someone who would never call his work “wabi sabi.”
I don’t think she’s being vitriolic at all. She is offended, and expressing it with reasoned and tempered words. Maybe if more Asian people would stop holding their tongues, and express their offense, it wouldn’t seem vitriolic. 

I’ve been taking more and better vacations in recent years. But the type of post-retirement traveling I have in mind would involve being gone for months are even a year. Too long absences to maintain the momentum of a pottery business. 

Westinghouse sent my Pop to retirement workshops (circa 1990), scared the effluent out'm! ...the stats - what happens when folk retire - don't look good. I've been aroun' enough myself to see a lil' bit, particularly in mid level public service (education) an' on the union side o' th' steel industry*, where retirement plan headlines often feature take it easy, nothin', couch, etc. for so many who have worked very hard for a long long time.
Hence, my theory is that we "juice up" for what's on our calendar; when working, that was (for me) ~5:30 to ~2:00 + M-F go time, add in other stuff, e.g. pt, family events, home projects, competitions, etc. From there, if there ain' items/events to juice up for, what happens (if y'need it spelled out, y'not gettin' it)? There's gotta be a big juice up just about every day, an' several small ones as well.
That said, retirement can be, perhaps should be - awesome! I recommend it. I truly hope e'body who get this far will have the choice to retire (not everyone gets to retire!) and will carefully ponder what all gets them excited, then go and rock it hard and regular; don' forget to find a way to contribute to your community as well, it is very important.
What Liam wrote, true 'nough, however, I feel very sad on readin' that.
 
*In the plant I worked in, union workers had to park waaay over there, hence at minimum four or more miles o' walkin' ebery work day. Top o'that, add hours of on the feet time and lots of movement. So many don't replace just the movement - even v e r y s l o w movement - on retirement. Sad. Keep it movin'. We're never "done" - til' done.
 

I posed this question because I am a big believer in long-range goals. My whole career trajectory has been based on one long range goal after another:
Get a full-time job as a graphic designer ... become a freelance graphic designer ... buy a house ... build a pottery studio in my house and launch a part-time pottery business ... quit the design business and do pottery full-time .... renovate my studio and buy a second kiln, which caused a big increase in output ... buy a minivan, which caused a big increase in shows and sales .... 
In recent years, my goals were all about improving efficiencies and productivity, ie making more more money with fewer pots and less labor. 
I”m now in my 9th year of full-time pottery. I would’t trade this experience for anything. It has been as satisfying as I hoped for. But as Mark noted, it is a grind and takes a toll on your body. So I am also thinking about winding down. 
In five years, I’d like to be living a much less labor intensive lifestyle. I don’t really want to live in a house with a yard anymore (especially on a spring day like today when I had to mow a tall and wet lawn). I’d like to live in a small, low-maintenance dwelling, which means no more pottery studio. I won’t need to earn a full-time income at that point, but I’ll probably work part-time to earn some extra income, and to stay busy. I also plan to travel, and pursue some recreational interests that I haven’t had time for while running a pottery business. 
 

I posed this question because I am a big believer in long-range goals. My whole career trajectory has been based on one long range goal after another:
Get a full-time job as a graphic designer ... become a freelance graphic designer ... buy a house ... build a pottery studio in my house and launch a part-time pottery business ... quit the design business and do pottery full-time .... renovate my studio and buy a second kiln, which caused a big increase in output ... buy a minivan, which caused a big increase in shows and sales .... 
In recent years, my goals were all about improving efficiencies and productivity, ie making more more money with fewer pots and less labor. 
I”m now in my 9th year of full-time pottery. I would’t trade this experience for anything. It has been as satisfying as I hoped for. But as Mark noted, it is a grind and takes a toll on your body. So I am also thinking about winding down. 
In five years, I’d like to be living a much less labor intensive lifestyle. I don’t really want to live in a house with a yard anymore (especially on a spring day like today when I had to mow a tall and wet lawn). I’d like to live in a small, low-maintenance dwelling, which means no more pottery studio. I won’t need to earn a full-time income at that point, but I’ll probably work part-time to earn some extra income, and to stay busy. I also plan to travel, and pursue some recreational interests that I haven’t had time for while running a pottery business. 
 

I posed this question because I am a big believer in long-range goals. My whole career trajectory has been based on one long range goal after another:
Get a full-time job as a graphic designer ... become a freelance graphic designer ... buy a house ... build a pottery studio in my house and launch a part-time pottery business ... quit the design business and do pottery full-time .... renovate my studio and buy a second kiln, which caused a big increase in output ... buy a minivan, which caused a big increase in shows and sales .... 
In recent years, my goals were all about improving efficiencies and productivity, ie making more more money with fewer pots and less labor. 
I”m now in my 9th year of full-time pottery. I would’t trade this experience for anything. It has been as satisfying as I hoped for. But as Mark noted, it is a grind and takes a toll on your body. So I am also thinking about winding down. 
In five years, I’d like to be living a much less labor intensive lifestyle. I don’t really want to live in a house with a yard anymore (especially on a spring day like today when I had to mow a tall and wet lawn). I’d like to live in a small, low-maintenance dwelling, which means no more pottery studio. I won’t need to earn a full-time income at that point, but I’ll probably work part-time to earn some extra income, and to stay busy. I also plan to travel, and pursue some recreational interests that I haven’t had time for while running a pottery business. 
 

I posed this question because I am a big believer in long-range goals. My whole career trajectory has been based on one long range goal after another:
Get a full-time job as a graphic designer ... become a freelance graphic designer ... buy a house ... build a pottery studio in my house and launch a part-time pottery business ... quit the design business and do pottery full-time .... renovate my studio and buy a second kiln, which caused a big increase in output ... buy a minivan, which caused a big increase in shows and sales .... 
In recent years, my goals were all about improving efficiencies and productivity, ie making more more money with fewer pots and less labor. 
I”m now in my 9th year of full-time pottery. I would’t trade this experience for anything. It has been as satisfying as I hoped for. But as Mark noted, it is a grind and takes a toll on your body. So I am also thinking about winding down. 
In five years, I’d like to be living a much less labor intensive lifestyle. I don’t really want to live in a house with a yard anymore (especially on a spring day like today when I had to mow a tall and wet lawn). I’d like to live in a small, low-maintenance dwelling, which means no more pottery studio. I won’t need to earn a full-time income at that point, but I’ll probably work part-time to earn some extra income, and to stay busy. I also plan to travel, and pursue some recreational interests that I haven’t had time for while running a pottery business. 
 

Organic and dirty vs. clean and clinical, they both serve a purpose I think.

If that is sunlight coming through the windows, cover the windows with a white sheet. The room may look too dark, but let the camera compensate for that with a longer exposure. You can also try a light mist of Dulling Spray (available at photo stores or Amazon). Nice use of depth-of-field (or purposeful lack of), 

I took them outdoors today because it was cloudy, I think this one is a little better
 

If that is sunlight coming through the windows, cover the windows with a white sheet. The room may look too dark, but let the camera compensate for that with a longer exposure. You can also try a light mist of Dulling Spray (available at photo stores or Amazon). Nice use of depth-of-field (or purposeful lack of), 

I made a thing. 

This week I haven't done anything out in the shed but trim some fermentation jars (and feel guilty about it).  Instead I've been hunched over a computer and camera trying to get everything squared away for my business and website.  I have my photo booth almost all squared away, need to pick up some posterboard tonight and really start photographing everything.  Wish I could just make things and let them disappear on their own, hah.
Anyway, here's a picture.  I was using this mug to dial in my camera and lights.
 

Not so much on the workbench, but finished and on the wall.

Yup, they are stainless steel. So just as food safe as the pots. 

As I mentioned in the Events section, I have a big show coming up soon. Lots of good stuff coming out of the kilns now.