Hulk

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 have a slow down plan
My slow down plan has been in effect for about 5 years now-I cut out  5 shows in that time. One gallery went out of business  and I did not replace-one wholesale place cut their orders in 1/2.
Thats the good news on slowing my pace but I have picked up 3 grocery store wholesale orders  two years ago. Thats been a lot of success  money wise but that means more work has happened. I no longer will take new wholesale orders.
In 5 years I plan on doing way less production-and it may be next to none by then. Its hard for me to let go as I like certain parts still like talking to customers . Shows are hardest and the most profitable-I have 3 traveling still and 2 local ones left. These will be pared down in upcoming years.
I may still have a few wholesale acounts and one local show in 5 years we shall see.Pottery keeps me moving (I have 4 tons to move today with a helper) it also takes it toll so its a love hate thing on the body.
I'm throwing less this past year but I also broke nmy arm and had two months off from throwing. In 5 years my plan is alot less for sure.
Right now I could quit (retire completly)but I like this business and am not good at relaxing.The hard part is the happy meduim.

Like you I just hope to be working in my studio at the same pace I am working now.     I didn't have much hope of that until I got a report back from the doctor that my MS has had minimal progression is the last ten years.    I still have the wrists and knee problems  that potters get but I can muddle through them.   I have to see the hand doctor next week,  keeping my fingers crossed I don't need surgery.    Denice

Nice!  We finally got some good days of weather and I finally got a little better hold on my settings.

Speaking of photography, what is on my workbench at the moment are  3 bins of pieces from a recent wood firing that need to be shot and inventoried, plus about half of a backlog of some bisque smalls that still need to be glazed. 

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

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.

I like them.
Audio is nicer also and of course no PJ’s a plus. Kudos to mentioning the compression out to in. You are probably only the third person I know to mention it and it has saved countless newbies from the unexplained crack. Food preparation is a bit of science also. This video has made me hungry, go figure.
someone I watched who was a throw to the stick person actually hinged the last two inches of his stick  so when done he could flip it horizontally out of the way. Seemed like an easy good idea.

This week I will be making some three pound fermentation vessels.  I think I need to make a dozen or so jars for my wife and her group of friends.  I'm hoping to also get through 30 mugs this week.
Made a video of me making the fermentation jars, or at least the first exploration of the form, can watch if you are interested in seeing me throw cylinders poorly, haha
 

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.

Been making bells for the past few days.  I love the sound of giant bowls when I ting them, so might as well make a big bell and hear it whenever the wind blows!  I have a small wind chime I got at a second hand store, and it sounds really nice, but it's all tinkle tinkle, and I like the bonging and donging of a deeper bell.  Hope it all works out, this is a video of me making my third one.  I am gonna make some more tonight, it's fun.  Probably gonna make a bunch of mugs first though, i need about 20 more mugs for a full mug bisque load.
 

This is a finished one of the oil bottles I posted a greenware photo of a few pages back, flashing slips, cone 10 soda. 

Was kind of busy last week with trying to bisque a lot of the stuff taking up space, I got a lot cleared out, some winners some losers.  Here are some of the winners, a new glaze combo I really like.  I call it rotten melon 
 
 

Nice work!
I never post anything here so here is a sampling of the weekend reduction firing. There are many talented artists at the studio (Clayspace ceramic arts center) that now excel at getting their favorite reduction, Carbon trapping, even ice crackle!
cool stuff and a fun mask almost sans eyeballs. Great group firings, time after time in an old Alpine updraft with some fancy digital stuff hooked to it.
 
 
 
 

I made some new stuff for spring. 

And here's the other two pictures dang upload limit

a few more
  variegated over bmix is bluer
  teal blue
  Lakeside Pottery clear blue really shows thickness differences - I've got some work to do here
  Aardvark light blue gloss
  variegated over red is greener
  faux celedon

a few more
  variegated over bmix is bluer
  teal blue
  Lakeside Pottery clear blue really shows thickness differences - I've got some work to do here
  Aardvark light blue gloss
  variegated over red is greener
  faux celedon

I'm generally just being funny...
 
I actually wasn't sure what it was.  I had never heard of a strawberry planter.
 
@Hulk Those are very nice works.  Far better, than my second batch of glazed wares...
I like the bottom of the bowls.  They resemble those plastic speckled bowls, faded in popularity, but have now come back, partially due to Rachael Ray using them, on her show as "Garbage Bowls".  My family had a large one growing up, but we called it a "Puke Bowl", partially due to it's coloring, partially due, to what it was used for, when someone was sick...

Good lessons all, Hulk. Some right nice things in there!

Unloaded second glaze firing Sunday last, looking forward to th' third!
From top left, clockwise
  Some bmix bowls, teal blue, light blue gloss, variegated glazes; chattering highlighted with underglaze and/or glaze, clear over. Clear glazes crazed on every bmix piece except one, ; the other glazes behaved well, except the light blue crazed some over bmix
  Some red clay pieces, teal blue, variegated, white, faux celadon and clear glazes, chattering highlighted with underglazes
  bmix  bowls, light gloss blue over bmix
  Closeup of variegated over red clay; looks bluer over white clay. I love this one - from Bill van Gilder's book (the blue teal is from his book as well*)
  Closeup of faux celadon over bmix, same highlighted chattering; this is variation of Marcia's recipe
 
The lessons, so far, fairly typical
  sieve them glazes
  adjust sg and jellyness of glazes to hit thickness without running and dripping
  cone pack on each level
  be able to see the cones when approaching target temp
  be careful loading and unloading
  toss flawed pieces into recycle pile - don't let them take up time, nor space
  don' expect glaze that fits this clay ok to also fit that clay :|
  test test, learn learn, repeat
 
*I'll post recipes if anyone's interested

Unloaded second glaze firing Sunday last, looking forward to th' third!
From top left, clockwise
  Some bmix bowls, teal blue, light blue gloss, variegated glazes; chattering highlighted with underglaze and/or glaze, clear over. Clear glazes crazed on every bmix piece except one, ; the other glazes behaved well, except the light blue crazed some over bmix
  Some red clay pieces, teal blue, variegated, white, faux celadon and clear glazes, chattering highlighted with underglazes
  bmix  bowls, light gloss blue over bmix
  Closeup of variegated over red clay; looks bluer over white clay. I love this one - from Bill van Gilder's book (the blue teal is from his book as well*)
  Closeup of faux celadon over bmix, same highlighted chattering; this is variation of Marcia's recipe
 
The lessons, so far, fairly typical
  sieve them glazes
  adjust sg and jellyness of glazes to hit thickness without running and dripping
  cone pack on each level
  be able to see the cones when approaching target temp
  be careful loading and unloading
  toss flawed pieces into recycle pile - don't let them take up time, nor space
  don' expect glaze that fits this clay ok to also fit that clay :|
  test test, learn learn, repeat
 
*I'll post recipes if anyone's interested

Unloaded second glaze firing Sunday last, looking forward to th' third!
From top left, clockwise
  Some bmix bowls, teal blue, light blue gloss, variegated glazes; chattering highlighted with underglaze and/or glaze, clear over. Clear glazes crazed on every bmix piece except one, ; the other glazes behaved well, except the light blue crazed some over bmix
  Some red clay pieces, teal blue, variegated, white, faux celadon and clear glazes, chattering highlighted with underglazes
  bmix  bowls, light gloss blue over bmix
  Closeup of variegated over red clay; looks bluer over white clay. I love this one - from Bill van Gilder's book (the blue teal is from his book as well*)
  Closeup of faux celadon over bmix, same highlighted chattering; this is variation of Marcia's recipe
 
The lessons, so far, fairly typical
  sieve them glazes
  adjust sg and jellyness of glazes to hit thickness without running and dripping
  cone pack on each level
  be able to see the cones when approaching target temp
  be careful loading and unloading
  toss flawed pieces into recycle pile - don't let them take up time, nor space
  don' expect glaze that fits this clay ok to also fit that clay :|
  test test, learn learn, repeat
 
*I'll post recipes if anyone's interested