Hulk

I like deadlines....to a point. Motivation for me can be a complicated thing, because I have ADD (inattentive type, so no H). Not enough on my plate, and I slip into the mindset of there are only 2 times: Now and Not Now, and anything that doesn’t have to happen Now isn’t happening today. Too many deadlines, and the overwhelm leads me to freeze. So for me, rest is something I’m finding I have to be VERY conscious to add into my schedule. Maintaining a steady pace of work and setting limits on my work day is becoming increasingly important to me. I’ll admit it’s a work in progress. I am aiming for a steady rate of work, even if the tasks vary from day to day, or week to week. 
I find when I hit the place where I’m burnt out or too tired, creativity and motivation go right out the window. And that’s not good, because it can take a long time to get yourself back to a place where you can work again. I’m finding self care is mandatory, and that includes but is not limited to: rest, “work hours,” exercise, good diet, going outside, doing things that don’t involve work sometimes, talking to people who aren’t artists, talking to people who are artists, limiting social media and other screen time, good sleep hygiene, knowing limits of patience/time/resources/capabilities and communicating them properly, etc etc. 
If I’m going to be an artist, my job is to be able to call forth my creativity when I need it, and in order to do that, I need to be fed properly, rested and have my limbic system more or less under control. So self care becomes non-optional. That can be a surprisingly challenging thought to internalize in a culture that values overwork.

My motivation source is similar to @Pres's answer: Give yourself a deadline. Shows are terrific for this. Once it's confirmed on your schedule, you have no choice but to get ready for it. 
With all of last year's shows cancelled, I had to create my own substitute events, but they worked the same way in terms of giving myself a deadline. 

Likely as many takes on your/Bam's question as there are potters (plus those dreaming of being potters).
While dreaming/doing can be exclusive - opposed on the "doing" continuum* - per the core o' this week's question, my thoughts on it keep veering toward the dreams that drive doing.
I'm well into my third year of retirement, happy to be where I am, and looking back, gave up a lot for it - nights and weekends burned to complete my second degree, restore and remodel properties (our several homes) so we may be able to sell at a profit someday, and work, work, work (including working away from home - out o' town). In the world of 24/7 production, one must, etc. Now, the "must do" is between my partner and I, and no one else - no one that's a regular base human creature, that is.
The dream, dreaming is important, whatever Hamlet say. 
Any road, to the question, I am competitive, to a fault, hence, to get "doing" going, a smidge of competition, whether real or imagined, doesn't matter, I'm all go.
Pottery is a hobby for me; I don't see that changing. Motivation to do isn't a big deal for me. For those whom motivation looms larger, may I suggest looking at the big picture - decades down the road, what's your dream? Like the song says, "You gotta have a dream, if you don't have a dream, How you gonna have a dream come true?"
Aaaand, balance, priorities.
 
*pronounced continue-uhm; Webster on continuum:
: a coherent whole characterized as a collection, sequence, or progression of values or elements varying by minute degrees
"good" and "bad" … stand at opposite ends of a continuum instead of describing the two halves of a line
— Wayne Shumaker

Set a schedule and adhere to it.  If I'm potting this week I will write down what I need to accomplish and then when I put the kids down for bed, I go out to the shed and do it. 
This can mean making pots, decorating, glazing, etc.  But it can also mean cleaning, organizing, taking photos, listing items on my website, filming or editing video, etc.
Just about everything in my life outside of work and family is pottery themed.  I stay away from social media to avoid having my ideas and styles tainted by others.  I do use it to post my work and answer questions, but that's all.  It can be a big time suck if you let it.

Whats a dreamer? Always been a doer-I think some dreaming skills may help me-lets see drinking my expresso now I'm dreaming of finishing all my work today-only have one hand so work is slow.I am dreaming about this cast coming off-only 5 days left then it a tempory cast for two weeks and rehab on the thumb will start. clay throwing still a long ways out-wait thats a dream.
I do dream about being underwater if that counts

I think it's counter productive to think looking at pots is counter productive.
That's the mindset I stay in.
Sorce

Hi folks, even though there was no QotW in the pool, I did receive an email with a good question to ask from @Bam2015: 
 have good intentions to work on pottery in the evening, but after a long work day I'm tired, so instead of working on pottery projects, I spend time on Instagram looking at pots. While I learn a lot and it's entertaining, I realize that it's not very productive. 
So my question, how do you motivate yourself to be a doer rather than a dreamer? Feel free to revise, or if it's not in line with what you are looking for, I understand.
I know how this went years ago. I was teaching school HS full time, just barely making ends meet when I started doing the Penn State festival. I had shown my pots at local shows and sold some. I had also joined the local PA guild of Craftsmen, and was the head of the jurying committee. The Penn State festival is in mid July, and the same weekend as the Alumni weekend. At the same time they opened up the rules for the locals to jury in with their pieces in person. I started producing in the middle of the early Spring in the garage, heated with a kerosene heater. I would get home at 3-4pm, turn on the heat, go in to change, then get out and throw til dinner, usually at 6pm, then throw til 11pm. Thing is, I am not a good judge of time, and often I would work until 2, get up in the morning and do it all over again. It was joyous at first, then work, then drudging. To do the festival, rumor was 10K of stock was needed to properly do the show. I really worked hard for months to get there. In early Summer as soon as school was out, I was in the shop everyday for all day often working before breakfast, and til 11pm or longer. My wife and one of her friends learned to dip glaze, and I sprayed color and did calligraphy for decoration over the white bristol type glaze. 7 year I did the show, until my wife was burned out, and was I. In the end, it really made me better at everything, but I realized in the long run, I loved to teach, loved to make pots, but wanted to make pots for myself. . . whether I kept them, sold them or not.  Hope that last statement makes sense since it is not as simple as it seems.  If being a doer is in you, then I believe you will do, being driven is inherent if you love it, but how do you sustain that if working two jobs.  
So,  QotW: How do you motivate yourself to be a doer rather than a dreamer? 
 
best,
Pres

Most kiln parts are not specific to any one kiln, or kiln brand, or even to kilns in general. Elements are the one exception. You can't just take elements from one brand and put them into another kiln and expect them to fit or heat properly. Is there a company in NZ that makes custom elements?  If not, try Euclids.com in Canada, they may be able to help you. 

I have noticed timing is everything! Until now I have been a part of a studio and so I had different habits that lent itself to better timing- for example, I set a piece aside after throwing it and let it dry for a bit without being wrapped. In my own studio I can come and go with more frequency so I end up wrapping my pieces earlier.  I do wire twice, once right after I throw and once when I am trying to lift the piece from the bat. 
I have been using cups, bottle, etc to try to restore the shape. I had no idea this tapering tool existed! Will have to try that too.

Hi Miriam!
Regarding 2) throw on my plastic bats
   You might try wiring the piece earlier - when it is starting to stiffen up, but not yet ready for trimming. Later, when it is ready to trim, you might need to wire it again, however, it will be easier.
 
Before taking the bat off the wheel, trimming away the skirt at the base - leaving a groove may make removing the piece easier later on.
Some potters wire the piece before moving the batt off the wheel, then wire again later.
I'll typically wire pieces and remove them from the batt when they are stiff enough to move, but not yet ready for trimming.
Timing!
As for 1) throw directly on the wheel
   There are tricks, e.g.
leave a thicker base
reset to round via the way the piece is set down - takes practice
reset to round when leather-ish hard using a tapered tool. I have a collection of tapered plastic containers I use. Here's a "rounder" that Bill Van Gilder demonstrates in a video.

He used to have them for sale on his website as well. I prefer a steeper taper...

We started to show folks this and for many it has helped: throw your piece, dry it off with your rib as much as practical. Place your needle tool under about a 1/4” and prescore a nice line under the foot, no more than 1/4”.  Very neat line! Now wire off nicely. Get a paper towel and put it on your bat or ware board. Pick up your pot with dry fingers as gently as you know how and set it on the paper towel on the board or batt. Cover loosely and let it dry to leather hard. The bottom will dry as fast as the sides because the water will wick out the paper towel. The bottom will not stick to the batt or ware board because of the towel.
If you are leaving these on the batt to dry a bit more, the score line from the needle tool under the foot will help guide your wire later and it will be much easier to remove when you do.
For really new folks we will let them heatgun stuff just enough to firm it up so they can pick it off the wheel until they become better throwing with less water. Generally the heatgun dependency thing becomes annoying and they learn to throw dryer and lift with more confidence.
Hope that  helps.

have you tried the trick where you lay a piece of paper on the rim of the pot then cut and lift it off the bat? the paper creates a seal that helps it not warp

I would not do that-we have burr grinder for fresh beans every day-an expresso maker -a half dozen Italiain expresso pots-drip coffee maker-a few steamers-untold drippers, aeropress for travel-a complete travel coffee making outfit for shows and on the road.A turkish brass bean grinder andbrass pots for turkish coffee (this Turkish coffee is how my brother hooked me with coffee in my 30s)-underrate coffee-never
I have told my Doc you can take everthing away except coffee

Don't underrate coffee!
 
best,
Pres

Nobody warned me clay was an addictive habit.

The only time I cover ware is if it will be too dry to work on within the timeframe I expect.
I use a cheap pop-up tent at my outdoor market. *ducks and covers*
(I weight the heck out of it though.)

i eat things in the studio.  not clay, plaster or any other silly thing, just something i can hold in my hand.   cookies are a favorite.    and i drink water, too.  maybe even a ginger ale!

Loading pots to close so they cannot (breath). In my reduction fires I pack them as tight as one can-always have. Yes in my salt kiln pots need to breath so salt gets on them but in reduction its a myth for me.
I can occasionally throw handle and fire pots same day. Its all about timing and knowing the limits of your materials and work.
Washing pots that where bisques -This I do with less than .001% of my studio production. Again only if they have months of dust on them which for me never happens. Pots are like mild around here they get processed and out the door. no need for washing .
I did wash a mug the other day as I am one handed for spell I dropped on in the glaze bucket and it need washing off and drying them reglazed and fired-that the .001% this year
I do not consider these habits but workflow

Sweep and .......
You ever hear the Bill Burr when he uses that voice and says, "oh, it's pesto"...
That's the voice I hear taking about wood ash, "it's caustic, it's caustic".
I don't even like that word!
Sorce
 

Hi folks, as I have not noticed a new question in the QotW pool, I will pose one.
I have been thinking of the question last week involving studio habits that folks adhere to, and wonder about those studio habits that have been warned against.  What you say?? The idea started the other day when I carried in a box of clay to the house. Clearly printed on the box of clay is "Don not freeze" This admonition is from the manufacturer and I assume that it means that frozen clay will be no good to use. Clearly as I store all of my clay outside under my kayaks all of it freezes. I just make certain the boxes are off of the concrete on wooden risers, and that the entire kayak rack with two sea kayaks is covered with a tarp and bungeed down.  I realize that clay that has frozen needs a little TLC when it comes Spring, but I have always wedged my clay, and will continue to do so. Over the years, I have also found that the clay that has frozen and been rewedged by me seems a little more plastic, and throwable than the clay when delivered even a few months ago. Aging counts, and maybe the freezing has something to do with. I do realize that everytime it is frozen the aging has to begin at 0, but it is still better more workable clay a month after the thaws.
So my question for the QotW is: What studio habits do you have that others have warned against?
 
best,
Pres

Speaking of cleaning, I tossed a mostly empty bucket of red clay slip in the garbage about a month ago. There was about 500mls left, sloppy but not super wet. Was out for the day then around dinner time there was a knock on the door. By-law enforcement officer with his pad out and a ticket written up for $250-  He said "I think you know why I'm here." Nope. Pulls out his phone and shows a photo of the white garbage truck with 2 red egg sized splotches down the side of the truck. He said the garbage truck driver stopped doing his collection, called by-laws and sat there until they showed up then took a picture of my garbage can and the truck. Explained to him it was red clay. Didn't believe me and said the garbage man said it was red paint. I went with a flashlight out to the garbage can and showed him a bit of the clay that was on the rim of the garbage can. Must have pulled his ticket pad out around 10 times during all this. Got a stern lecture about throwing red clay in the garbage. I asked him what was I supposed to do with it to which he said put it in the green waste bin. Didn't care for it when I asked if that would have stopped it dripping on the truck. 

I am in the (try to be) super clean camp. I can't stand to have clay-coated tools, dried glaze wash in cups, crud in the throwing pan, grit on the workbench, residue on molds, dirty cloths, muddy sponges, supplies not put back where they belong (i.e. the one place where I know where to find them, given increasing memory deficits), clay dust on the floor (or windows, shelves etc.). So I make myself clean the same day after work, or the next day before work (or both as needed). It's just not worth it to me to let it go--even a few days build up drives me nuts and provokes me to avoid the studio.    

Compared to a lot of the older potters or people I was taught by, I have a freakishly clean studio. I don’t deal well or think clearly when I’m surrounded by visual clutter.
I also start the day by siphoning off the settled water from yesterday’s work, dumping the sludge into the reclaim and getting fresh water. At the end, I always sponge out my splash pan and wipe off all my tools and put them away. This way all the fines get into the reclaim, which I also do, despite it being “inefficient.” Starting to farm the reclaim out to the 12 year old though, because he wants some walking around money.

I am sure I have the same habits other potters have but I do use my slab roller a lot.   Whenever I have a nice  warm day with very little wind I will take my canvas for red clay and the one for white out side to hose down on the driveway.   I leave the canvas out in the sun to dry and them roll them up .   This method keeps them nice and flat with no wrinkles.    Denice

I use a water catchment system that takes clay water outside to setteling tubs-then goes to plants
I use a whole/studio vacuums system locateded outside for dust control.
I never clean up my throwing wheel much (Why bother) I keep the  other wheels clean .Use a deacated glaze area which is ready to go always
Use 100% advancer shelves in gas kilns