LeeU Posted February 21, 2020 Report Share Posted February 21, 2020 On 2/7/2020 at 1:16 PM, CactusPots said: An arts and crafts hobby is the perfect foil for today's stress jobs. As you build a retirement, you invest and improve to the point where you can have a functional engaged creative life when the regular working life is over. I think this is the heart (and soul and mind and body) of the matter, whether people making this kind of shift, or evolution, into a different type of work, a different expression of creativity, are particularly aware of it or not. Tho I suspect most people would have a sense of whether their stress is reduced and/or their creative bent is enhanced. I agree w/Liam, the best thing would be doing what you want all along, and I deeply admire people who are able to pull that off. What's that saying? Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life? On the other hand, "work" often gets a bad rap, when it is often not so much the work per se, but the trappings of any less than really good working environment. Bad conditions, bad bosses, bad pay, bad schedules, bad systems etc. can be so toxic and damaging that the work-a-day world can be hell (we'll see if the auto censor picks that up!). I am so very grateful to have made it to retirement--the odds were high for a long time that I would not--so doing art/photography/claywork etc. now is just a pure delight, i.e. "a functional engaged creative life"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liambesaw Posted February 21, 2020 Report Share Posted February 21, 2020 You know, I saw someone on Reddit ask the other day "how do you stay motivated to do this, I've hit a wall, i can't find time to commit", so I know that for some this NEEDS to be a hobby, and that they can't give it 100% or it starts feeling like an obligation. I know I need to do this, every spare minute of my day is filled with doing, learning, preparing for my night in the shed. I can't even empathize with someone who can't find time for pottery, it's so foreign. I know I was built to do this, but my barrier right now is not being retired, not being unemployed, not being forced into it. As it is, I have two young kids, a mortgage, and a very high cost of living (one of the highest in the world). This may always be a side gig for me, but so far it's the fuel behind a lot of other motivations and I can appreciate that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted February 21, 2020 Report Share Posted February 21, 2020 I do this full time, and do not doubt it folks, it most certainly IS an obligation. As a professional, I have effectively made promises that I will make work for people who want my skills. I have made commitments with my community to share my knowledge. I am obliged to myself, to my family and to my customers to be a responsible business owner and show up and produce and market and sell and photograph and do paperwork wether I feel like it or not. As a professional, I have made promises, and I am indeed obliged to keep them, and I have to follow through. I liked working in clay enough to choose it on purpose, so now I have a responsibility to do the work. That is NOT to say that I don't enjoy the obligation most of the time. My job is a very fun one! But it is still a job. I am not always calculating how and when to get to the studio any more than someone else calculates how soon they can get to their day job. There are days where I'm physically exhausted. There are days when I need a break. There are days where I experinece all kinds of self doubt, question my life decisions, get frustrated with the slow pace and I don't want to trim those bowls today because it's sunny and I'd rather be gardening. Sometimes it's frightening being the only person responsible for absoloutely everything, and please dear god let me not screw up anything involving RevCan. Some days are lonely. And all that is before any of the usual ways clay itself can go sideways. But there are also days where I get to see people's eyes light up and smile at the sight of a thing I made. There are days where I get to exercise my skills and feel very powerful in that. There are days that I get to help a husband pick out a 20th anniversary gift for his wife that he is still head over heels for. There are days where I find out I've created something that really resonates with someone else, and that is a VERY profound connection with another human being. Some days I get to help a new clay person solve a problem and watch them get excited. Those are all good days. I am very happy that I get lots of those days! I think if you haven't had a serious, debilitating case of the I don't wanna's or some kind of an artist block and had to work through it, give it time. It will happen. Cut yourself some slack when it does: it means you've hit milestones, and you likely have some growth iminent if you let it happen. Show yourself some love, because yelling at yourself and calling yourself names won't help. I've worked with clay for 26 years, so more of my life than not. It isn't fun all the time. My personal expereince is that at least part of the difference between a side gig or a hobby and being a professional is knowing how to recover from hitting those walls. Learning how to clearly and realistically define what you are and aren't able to do, doing it, and communicating it clearly to others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted February 23, 2020 Report Share Posted February 23, 2020 On 2/19/2020 at 9:10 PM, Mark C. said: Marcia-sound like the car kiln and swinging door kiln came a but late for you at work. One thing for sure is Pottery is heck on the body-at times I feel it keeps me fit other times I swear it's killing me. Mark, I haven't had anymore problems with my wrists except from breaking a bone when I tripped over someone's legs sticking out of the wood kiln taking photos. That was 2 years ago. I think lifting kiln shelves and loading so many kilns per week affected the pain developed in back, shoulders, hips, and thighs.I feel the same about sometimes it keeps me fit and sometimes it is killing me. Gave up bricking up doors 40 years ago. I'm 71 now. Enjoying throwing big pots "effortlessly" with 50+ years of skill to do it. I like not struggling with the clay although if I push one too far and it starts to clapse, I'll hang it upside down and let it reshape itself and continue to throw when it is ready. No fear there and maybe no fear anywhere when you've explored so much and keep pushing the envelope. That makes me feel like it is keeping me fit. At the moment I am working on a batch pots for sagger firing soluble salts and at the same time engaged in carving porcelain for a celedon glaze just because I want to do it. Got a request from a friend from CAD for advice and critique of her work. Discussed glazes, slips, forms and firing schedules. I enjoyed sharing what I could.She'll let me know if it helped. Working with the Community (pop. 2200) efforts on a STEM program turned to STE-A(for the arts)M and developing programs for artists to communicate how they incorporate STEM in producing their work. I feel potters are really involved with that. I work in the studio every day. Maybe because I feel there aren't that any days left or maybe because I am slowing down. My husband will be home for good Sept. 1 when he retires. We want to hang out together stay home since we both have travelled a lot. He wants to play music and write books , and I can hang out with him but still work in clay. We got almost 6 ft. ( 5'10") of snow in Feb. but love living here. Really happy to be back in Montana. This is from a friend of mine from college who taught me to throw. She was the director of Pilchuck for 10 years. She has a hobby after retirement: scuba diving. She was the first woman President of NCECA, among many other things. Good video from the Seattle Art Community. There is room for everyone to enjoy their passion for clay. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted February 25, 2020 Report Share Posted February 25, 2020 On 2/20/2020 at 9:17 PM, LeeU said: I think this is the heart (and soul and mind and body) of the matter, whether people making this kind of shift, or evolution, into a different type of work, a different expression of creativity, are particularly aware of it or not. Tho I suspect most people would have a sense of whether their stress is reduced and/or their creative bent is enhanced. I agree w/Liam, the best thing would be doing what you want all along, and I deeply admire people who are able to pull that off. What's that saying? Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life? On the other hand, "work" often gets a bad rap, when it is often not so much the work per se, but the trappings of any less than really good working environment. Bad conditions, bad bosses, bad pay, bad schedules, bad systems etc. can be so toxic and damaging that the work-a-day world can be hell (we'll see if the auto censor picks that up!). I am so very grateful to have made it to retirement--the odds were high for a long time that I would not--so doing art/photography/claywork etc. now is just a pure delight, i.e. "a functional engaged creative life"! I had a doctor in my classes when I was teaching. He said when" I make a mistake in clay, nobody dies." Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted February 25, 2020 Report Share Posted February 25, 2020 A little aside from all of this, as something happened the other day that is related. I have since retiring become more of an avid bowler. Walking back from the pro shop in the local lanes the other day a black man, called out to me. . Hey Mr. Rice! Was surprised to see him, and that he knew me over the years, had him in 2006 he informed me. Anyway, we started talking about bowling, and he said he was practicing as he just started in a league this year and have 120 ish average. I asked him to throw the ball to let me see what he was doing. After that I asked him what he was aiming for, he was shooting for target marks at the end of the alley almost at the pins. I told him to shoot arrows, one in particular, and stand at the left of the alley. . . . 3 strikes in a row, a 7 pin leave, and then 3 more strikes. He was excited, to have that many marks so easily. Told me I always was a good teacher, and was amazed I could help him so much so quickly. I guess some of us retire, but can't break the habit of still doing what we loved! Not that I don't love the clay too! best, Pres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted February 25, 2020 Report Share Posted February 25, 2020 Marcia thank you so much for sharing! What an amazing person. Inspiring. I have been in a hole since 1/2 of our Island was nuked by fire this summer. This has energised me. I have thought of just making colourful mugs and bowls and giving to folk who lost everything. I WILL START this project this weekend. Week end work to give away . Other work to support this. Thank you so much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babs Posted February 25, 2020 Report Share Posted February 25, 2020 11 minutes ago, Pres said: A little aside from all of this, as something happened the other day that is related. I have since retiring become more of an avid bowler. Walking back from the pro shop in the local lanes the other day a black man, called out to me. . Hey Mr. Rice! Was surprised to see him, and that he knew me over the years, had him in 2006 he informed me. Anyway, we started talking about bowling, and he said he was practicing as he just started in a league this year and have 120 ish average. I asked him to throw the ball to let me see what he was doing. After that I asked him what he was aiming for, he was shooting for target marks at the end of the alley almost at the pins. I told him to shoot arrows, one in particular, and stand at the left of the alley. . . . 3 strikes in a row, a 7 pin leave, and then 3 more strikes. He was excited, to have that many marks so easily. Told me I always was a good teacher, and was amazed I could help him so much so quickly. I guess some of us retire, but can't break the habit of still doing what we loved! Not that I don't love the clay too! best, Pres The willing to share without fear is such a blessing! Teaching and sharing knowledge and being able to observe the resulting joy is so special and such an honour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted February 26, 2020 Report Share Posted February 26, 2020 callie, thank you for putting it into words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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