LeeU

I need to read it to retain it.
My way of learning.
Videos interesting, may pick up a couple of things, but I don't retain it the same.
Canread at certain speed, reread a sentence, refer back or forward easily, 
But being in remote area,  I use whatever I canatthe time.
 

Even with low production I may need to check it out. I used my white board  like that, divided into rectangles w/lists & check-offs & notes. Now I use it to keep my muscles toned. See pics LOL.

Even with low production I may need to check it out. I used my white board  like that, divided into rectangles w/lists & check-offs & notes. Now I use it to keep my muscles toned. See pics LOL.

Even with low production I may need to check it out. I used my white board  like that, divided into rectangles w/lists & check-offs & notes. Now I use it to keep my muscles toned. See pics LOL.

So maybe some of you already know about the app Trello if you’ve had to work on projects in a more corporate setting in the last couple of years. I hadn’t paid a lot of attention to it, because every time I heard it mentioned, it seemed like more software than I needed. But a booth neighbour friend and I were talking about workflow stuff this summer, and she showed me how she used it to track the various stages of work in progress. 
The plan was to try it out and report back after show season was done, but it’s been so effective in the last couple of weeks that I thought I’d write about it now!
If you’re not familiar, Trello is sort of like an online Kanban board, or one of those setups where you have the stages of progress for a project written at the top of a white board, and you take a bunch of sticky notes with individual tasks that need to be done and move them along the line as they get completed. In Trello, multiple people can log into the board from wherever they’re working from, and you don’t have problems with sticky notes falling off the board and getting lost. It’s more visually oriented than a spreadsheet, because you can drag and drop items (cards) from one list to the next.
You do need to sign up for an account, but Trello is free for the version that would be needed by most potters or other small makers, and includes a LOT of handy features. Paid versions are designed with large organizations with more employees and outside contractors in mind. 
You want to start off by creating a workspace once you’re signed up and have your account confirmed. Within the workspace, you can create up to 10 boards on the free version.  You could organize these boards as production lists for individual shows, but I’ve got mine set up for quarterly production, and to track items that have been ordered by people. You could also make boards for things like planning your assorted marketing efforts, but I haven’t got that set up yet.
Inside my board for my quarterly production, I made lists that include Needed, Clay Prepped, Thrown, Decorated and Drying, Bisqued, Glazed, and Finished. I then created cards within those lists of the items I want to have made for the start of show season. Cards can hold a significant amount of information, including links, photos and notes, but for my production list I keep it very simple. Each card is just a quantity of an item that I would make in a day, or that I need in grand total. As each item card gets dragged and dropped through the production stages, I have a clear idea of what’s done, what’s in what stage of progress and what still needs to be started. 
For instance, I know I want to have 12 berry bowls made for the season. So the card starts out saying 12 berry bowls while it’s under the “needed” section. I would typically prep the clay and make all those bowls at once, but if they don’t all fit in the bisque, I can make separate cards indicating that I have 8 that have been fired and glazed, and 4 still waiting in the dried state. Depending on the quantity of an item you need to make, you could either make notes within the card of how many of what glaze job you want, or you could make separate cards for the different styles. After they’re all moved onto the “Finished” list, you can admire how much you accomplished!
It’s also very handy for tracking special orders. If a customer has ordered a piece, I can keep their name, order particulars and contact info on one card, and track its progress as above. Once the piece is made, I can attach photos to the card, and move it to the “Notified” list after I’ve emailed the customer. In the event the piece is shipped, I can add the tracking number to the card. That way if I need to process a claim, I’m not sifting through all my Canada Post receipts. 
I’m finding it a lot faster to update than a spreadsheet or a written list. I do recommend it!
 

I have an L&L EZ Fire and would be lost without the wonderful selection of pre-programs that are clearly described and explained in the manual. If I were doing more than I am or different items I would set custom schedules but I simply have no need to at this time. I've found the pre-sets to be accurate and consistent, and still with some flexibility (hold times, fast or slow glaze, for example). The computerization really makes my life easier and keeps things simple. 
 

Well, Primal came out looking less exciting than I hoped so I am going for a refire. Not Broken broke a little bit again and did not get the super colorful treatment I'd planned---I decided to keep it simple. Here is the finished wall piece. 

Reclycling/wedging from dried clay is awful for me. I am saving up for the smallest cheapest pug mill I can find and Advancers (can't lift shelves so good anymore).  My favored equiptment is my tabletop Bailey slab roller, followed by the heavy Shimpo banding wheel.  I gave myself the gift of fully outfitting my studio from the git-go, upon retiring from my "day job", so there is nothing I wish I'd done sooner. Having my kiln right here is beyond awesome--there is no public-access kiln anwhere close by, plus the over-time, ongoing, expense and restrictions of having to use their clay/glaze/firing programs etc. would not suit me long term. So, I guess it is my L& L Easy-Fire that is really the winner! 

My challenge is to be more attentive to constructing an intentional palette in the first place. I gravitate to favorite combos and then sometimes just get spontaneous with whatever strikes my fancy at the moment. I make plans to develop a couple of palette schemes, and cut out glaze swatches from catalogues or print them out from web sites and tack them up on my inspiration board...and usually never look at them again. 

Well, Primal came out looking less exciting than I hoped so I am going for a refire. Not Broken broke a little bit again and did not get the super colorful treatment I'd planned---I decided to keep it simple. Here is the finished wall piece. 

Well, Primal came out looking less exciting than I hoped so I am going for a refire. Not Broken broke a little bit again and did not get the super colorful treatment I'd planned---I decided to keep it simple. Here is the finished wall piece. 

Well, Primal came out looking less exciting than I hoped so I am going for a refire. Not Broken broke a little bit again and did not get the super colorful treatment I'd planned---I decided to keep it simple. Here is the finished wall piece. 

My challenge is to be more attentive to constructing an intentional palette in the first place. I gravitate to favorite combos and then sometimes just get spontaneous with whatever strikes my fancy at the moment. I make plans to develop a couple of palette schemes, and cut out glaze swatches from catalogues or print them out from web sites and tack them up on my inspiration board...and usually never look at them again. 

I am so tempted to just write "Run, Forest, run".    Long silent pause.    But, OK, I'll play. 
1. Unless you have zero debt and zero money concerns, determine a realistic budget strictly for the studio and it's operations.
2. Include all things ceramic, such as related travel, major & minor supplies, overhead, fees for participation in exhibits/craft fairs/conferences/local potters guild etc.  
3. Set the financial projections up for about 3 years--it will take that long to see what the real expense  is for your mode of claywork is going to cost you.  
4. If by now you're saying to yourself but it's "just a hobby", run, Forest, run.
5. Stick to the budget and if it is not working, don't delay making the necessary adjustments. I check my budget monthly to see if I'm on track, and I enter expenses when they occur--not 3 weeks later when I can't remember what I got or what I paid, and I've lost the receipt (which should be in a file but sometimes isn't).  

I am so tempted to just write "Run, Forest, run".    Long silent pause.    But, OK, I'll play. 
1. Unless you have zero debt and zero money concerns, determine a realistic budget strictly for the studio and it's operations.
2. Include all things ceramic, such as related travel, major & minor supplies, overhead, fees for participation in exhibits/craft fairs/conferences/local potters guild etc.  
3. Set the financial projections up for about 3 years--it will take that long to see what the real expense  is for your mode of claywork is going to cost you.  
4. If by now you're saying to yourself but it's "just a hobby", run, Forest, run.
5. Stick to the budget and if it is not working, don't delay making the necessary adjustments. I check my budget monthly to see if I'm on track, and I enter expenses when they occur--not 3 weeks later when I can't remember what I got or what I paid, and I've lost the receipt (which should be in a file but sometimes isn't).  

I am so tempted to just write "Run, Forest, run".    Long silent pause.    But, OK, I'll play. 
1. Unless you have zero debt and zero money concerns, determine a realistic budget strictly for the studio and it's operations.
2. Include all things ceramic, such as related travel, major & minor supplies, overhead, fees for participation in exhibits/craft fairs/conferences/local potters guild etc.  
3. Set the financial projections up for about 3 years--it will take that long to see what the real expense  is for your mode of claywork is going to cost you.  
4. If by now you're saying to yourself but it's "just a hobby", run, Forest, run.
5. Stick to the budget and if it is not working, don't delay making the necessary adjustments. I check my budget monthly to see if I'm on track, and I enter expenses when they occur--not 3 weeks later when I can't remember what I got or what I paid, and I've lost the receipt (which should be in a file but sometimes isn't).  

I started out very focused, learned the basics quite well--got a good comprehensive ceramics education (and a BFA in crafts). Then I  became engaged with experimental techniques/more sculptural work, while still in VCU art school. (I was going to out-Voulkus Voulkus, don'tcha know).  It became a moot point when I took a detour into a 25 Y career in the addiction treatment field. I thought it would be short lived, because voc rehab was willing to bankroll my Master's if I committed to working in public service for a few years. I turned out to be very good at specialized program design & getting federal grant funding, so ceramics went into the attic to gather dust. After I retired (State Planner in Behavioral Health for NH DHHS) I constructed my little studio in my trailer (bedroom & back porch). However, I have lost so much ability (physical/cognitive) that I can't get back to where I once was. So, my present place is some  "other direction".  At the moment, I'm  just looking to satisfy myself and make enough (local smalls of the home decor variety)  to break even, which I am finally doing. Probably the most consistent thread from then to now is I am continuing my Hidden Mask series, which I started back in '81. 

I started out very focused, learned the basics quite well--got a good comprehensive ceramics education (and a BFA in crafts). Then I  became engaged with experimental techniques/more sculptural work, while still in VCU art school. (I was going to out-Voulkus Voulkus, don'tcha know).  It became a moot point when I took a detour into a 25 Y career in the addiction treatment field. I thought it would be short lived, because voc rehab was willing to bankroll my Master's if I committed to working in public service for a few years. I turned out to be very good at specialized program design & getting federal grant funding, so ceramics went into the attic to gather dust. After I retired (State Planner in Behavioral Health for NH DHHS) I constructed my little studio in my trailer (bedroom & back porch). However, I have lost so much ability (physical/cognitive) that I can't get back to where I once was. So, my present place is some  "other direction".  At the moment, I'm  just looking to satisfy myself and make enough (local smalls of the home decor variety)  to break even, which I am finally doing. Probably the most consistent thread from then to now is I am continuing my Hidden Mask series, which I started back in '81. 

I started out very focused, learned the basics quite well--got a good comprehensive ceramics education (and a BFA in crafts). Then I  became engaged with experimental techniques/more sculptural work, while still in VCU art school. (I was going to out-Voulkus Voulkus, don'tcha know).  It became a moot point when I took a detour into a 25 Y career in the addiction treatment field. I thought it would be short lived, because voc rehab was willing to bankroll my Master's if I committed to working in public service for a few years. I turned out to be very good at specialized program design & getting federal grant funding, so ceramics went into the attic to gather dust. After I retired (State Planner in Behavioral Health for NH DHHS) I constructed my little studio in my trailer (bedroom & back porch). However, I have lost so much ability (physical/cognitive) that I can't get back to where I once was. So, my present place is some  "other direction".  At the moment, I'm  just looking to satisfy myself and make enough (local smalls of the home decor variety)  to break even, which I am finally doing. Probably the most consistent thread from then to now is I am continuing my Hidden Mask series, which I started back in '81. 

I feel like any diagram or 2D representation of my career path should involve crayons, lol!
To say it was indirect for a good long time is an understatement.I did start off being pretty focused, and got a whole BFA in ceramics, but when I graduated, I had what I know now to be the crash that every gifted kid with case of undiagnosed ADHD seems to wind up with. So I worked a bunch of wildly unrelated retail or reception jobs for the next 14 years, and made pots on the side while Life Happened and Was Not-pretty (TM).
After having a couple of kids and coming to the conclusions that 1)I make a terrible employee but an awesome boss, 2) since I can predictably earn a couple hundred bucks every time I resupplied the one gallery I was in, maybe I just needed to consistently get my work in front of people to earn some adult money. 
Once I had relaxed and begun to see opportunities and possibilities again, my work did some pretty rapid growth and development. I built a TON of new forms, I went from cone 10 reduction to cone 6 ox, and went from using a white porcelaneous stoneware to a red stoneware with white slip deco. I challenged myself to keep the qualities of the cone 10 work that I really enjoyed while incorporating some of the easy turnover and colourful elements that cone 6 offers.  
I don’t think I know of an artist that has had direct, linear path. We all seem to incorporate bits of our lives and our loves and our experiences into the work we make.

I started out very focused, learned the basics quite well--got a good comprehensive ceramics education (and a BFA in crafts). Then I  became engaged with experimental techniques/more sculptural work, while still in VCU art school. (I was going to out-Voulkus Voulkus, don'tcha know).  It became a moot point when I took a detour into a 25 Y career in the addiction treatment field. I thought it would be short lived, because voc rehab was willing to bankroll my Master's if I committed to working in public service for a few years. I turned out to be very good at specialized program design & getting federal grant funding, so ceramics went into the attic to gather dust. After I retired (State Planner in Behavioral Health for NH DHHS) I constructed my little studio in my trailer (bedroom & back porch). However, I have lost so much ability (physical/cognitive) that I can't get back to where I once was. So, my present place is some  "other direction".  At the moment, I'm  just looking to satisfy myself and make enough (local smalls of the home decor variety)  to break even, which I am finally doing. Probably the most consistent thread from then to now is I am continuing my Hidden Mask series, which I started back in '81. 

I started out very focused, learned the basics quite well--got a good comprehensive ceramics education (and a BFA in crafts). Then I  became engaged with experimental techniques/more sculptural work, while still in VCU art school. (I was going to out-Voulkus Voulkus, don'tcha know).  It became a moot point when I took a detour into a 25 Y career in the addiction treatment field. I thought it would be short lived, because voc rehab was willing to bankroll my Master's if I committed to working in public service for a few years. I turned out to be very good at specialized program design & getting federal grant funding, so ceramics went into the attic to gather dust. After I retired (State Planner in Behavioral Health for NH DHHS) I constructed my little studio in my trailer (bedroom & back porch). However, I have lost so much ability (physical/cognitive) that I can't get back to where I once was. So, my present place is some  "other direction".  At the moment, I'm  just looking to satisfy myself and make enough (local smalls of the home decor variety)  to break even, which I am finally doing. Probably the most consistent thread from then to now is I am continuing my Hidden Mask series, which I started back in '81. 

Funny I use the same coolers as Neil -I have them in two sizes.I also have an electric one for the van.I run that electric with frozen gallons of water and things stay frozen for a few days
If I'm on a long trip like the one in two weeks that will include diving for 3 days after  3 day show I will take some frozen tuna to BBQ after show-we stay for a week in a place with a kitchen  (friend own it) also fresh vegtables from large garden and steam them for dinner . Usually shows and diving do not mix but this one coming up in Wa state I have mixed diving with show for 30 years now .
For me my wife makes chicken for me  before show and we freeze it . I did many 3 days shows as well.I pack the frozen chicken (one saerving for lunch per day)in pre frozen water bottles quarts and gallons and the food thaws slowly driving to shows (most are long trips up to two days away) I also have a bag of celery and carrots and cold drinks.I also take some hard boiled eggs. I have my own coffee making (stove and dripper always with me in van asa well.) if the show is hot (summer) then I take a as large as I can gett iced latte or coffee. In the eraly am I get a coffee shop to give me a cup of Ice and the drink in another cup and make it up as needed during the day. I like coffee in all forms. I also have some small cold expresso cans as well in cooler.I usually pack some kind nut bars as well. This is  for a solo show or a helper show -its standard as I supply food to helper as well. I have done shows for 47 years now and have a system down . 
Also I take two days of fresh sandwiches which gets me to show and into the 1st day.I carry cereal for breakfast and milk in cooler  as well for all breakfasts during and traveling  to and from shows. I always eat a dinner out after shows unless I'm staying for long time after show like  my next show in two weeks.-part of the deal.10 years ago I put 20.000 miles a year on the van  every year(only used for pottery sales) Now its under 5,000. down to 3 shows and soon less than that.My local sales really have made shows obsolete other than the disire to see and talk to customers which I still need.
In my past when doing super hot shows like Gilry Ca garlic festival I have a scuba tank air powered mister system that covered my booth and 1/2 I used for decades there. I no longer do super hot shows (maybe not with climate change withstanding in the Pacific Northwest now ) .Customers flocked to that mister booth back then-the emitters where away from the racks of pots.
I never eat fair food-for many reasons
they are 
takes to much time
Getting bad food and sick at show is no fun (seen this happen more than once to others)
Remember your time at show is very limited so make it all count. Reading books no 
waiting in food lines no
attuitude is everything unless the customer crosses the line (been there as well) Refusing service always is a last resort but I have done it more than once-this may be another topic?
 
 

I work shows alone, so I take a cooler to every show with sandwiches, snacks, water, etc. I Invested in a good roto-molded cooler a few years ago and it can get through a 3 day show without needing to refill the ice so it was a worthwhile investment. It's this one if anyone's interested. It's cheap compared to a Yeti and works great, and holds enough food to get me through a weekend. I also take a small bag with food that doesn't need to be kept cold- chips, granola bars, etc. I always take way more food than I need, because some days I just get hungrier than others. If I do well on Saturday I'll often treat myself to buying lunch from one of the food trucks on Sunday, but that requires being able to leave my booth for 10-20 minutes, so I only do that at smaller shows if the show is slow and I can find a good booth sitter or neighbor to help out. At really big shows, trying to get out of the booth that long is impossible, so a stocked cooler is super important. Hunger can make a show a pretty miserable experience. In addition to food, I take two 32oz and one 64oz stainless steel insulated water bottles that can keep water cold all day. The 64oz is a backup that stays in the cooler, and I fill the 32oz bottles in the morning- at home if it's a local show, or at the hotel or wherever I get breakfast if it's an away show. Most coffee shops, McDonalds, bakeries, (wherever you get breakfast) are happy to fill bottles with ice water for you, especially if it's near the show and you mention that you're an artist. Most good shows will hand out water, but I hate the environmental impact of disposable water bottles so I try to avoid taking them.

Becasue I live in a rented mobile home I am not allowed to have any traffic at all and no sales from my location. The master bedroom has been converted and outfitted as my studio & the enclosed back porch is my kiln room.  They are nice, tho small, environments, well laid out, and I have all the usual cool stuff of any functioning studio. It's frustrating because I know absolutely that I would do really great if I could have mini-tours/sale days right here. There's enough room open on the back porch and rear deck that I could do a great display.  I have inventory, but no ready outlet for it that doesn't involve way (way) too much work on my part to get it where it would have to go--just not up for it. My daughter might help me set up an Etsy store, but even that seem like too much hassle at this particular juncture in my life. I seem to be treading water at the moment. I may do a down & dirty pop-up yard sale with  my "smalls" as part of the stuff (we can't have yard sales either, but if it was up & gone real fast-just a few hours & no road signs-only an online ad- I'd probably be OK).  I used to go to studios/kiln openings before the pandemic but I'm not willing to chance it (personal risk factors) until the Delta factor plays out & we see whether the vaccines loose effectiveness around 6 months, as is possible.