QotW: What would you tell yourself about pottery, if you could speak to yourself when you were in your early adult years.

[Pres]

Seems like I can't get away from things from the past. This week I will ask another one of those what if questions.

QotW: What would you tell yourself about pottery, if you could speak to yourself when you were in your early adult years. 

In my early years, I thought that I wanted to go back to school for an MFA, and wasted time commiserating over it I would tell myself to not dwell on what could be and work with what is. At the same time I would tell myself to stop playing around with the Amaco motorized kick wheel that took up too much space and couldn't handle the bigger pots, and buy the Brent CXC 12 years ealier!

 

best,

Pres

[Mark C.]

In my early adult years I did not talk to myself as I do now in my later years

[LeeU]

I would not tell myself to change anything--my perspectives, relationship with clay, and sense of "making" what I make are essentially the same as then. Not about pottery/clay per se, but the one thing I would tell my young adult self would be to rachet back the wild child behavior and pay more attention to protecting my future. 

[Rae Reich]

On the creative side, I learned so much from most of my ‘mistakes’ that it’s hard to imagine not having made them.
The things I learned too late were on the business side: (1) how to be practical about the narrow profit margin at large ‘craft fairs’ as imports invaded them and (2) if I wasn’t going to regularly monitor consignment sales I’d better not do them at all.

[JohnnyK]

I would have told myself to get involved sooner rather than waiting until I almost retired...

[Callie Beller Diesel]

It’s better to make the pots you can now than wait for ideal circumstances. It will extend your skills and your creativity. 

Also, build a business plan for yourself, not the kind you’d send to the bank. The starving artist trope is a steaming pile, and earning money at this is kinda fun!

Make for the now, not posterity. History is unlikely to remember you, and that is a VERY freeing thought.

You have ADHD. You need to find different working methods than the toxic work habits you learned in school if you don’t want to burn out. (That one’s personal.)

You aren’t lazy for not wanting to make the work right now. You’re tired. Go rest and try again in a bit.