Assignment

Yesterday, as I sat down with my morning cup of coffee, I wanted to get rolling on some pots ASAP and avoid the usual foibles or hurdles that seem SO urgent every morning. I remembered my days as a potter before the blog, before the internet, etc. Even then I remember that mornings were sometimes frittered away with "urgent" tasks, i.e. phone calls, domestic chores, drop in visits, and the like. It's very easy to get swept away reading blogs, checking your stocks online, chatting on Facebook, playing Spore, etc. The web has become way too effective in roping us in to thinking that we MUST read it NOW, watch MORE YouTube, NOW.

Meanwhile, of the many properties of clay, self starting is not one of them. We have to initiate the action!

[Back to my pre-internet potting days]...I had been to the Utilitarian Clay Conference, many years ago and heard Linda Christianson say that she set out each day to make, I don't know, 6 or 7 cups, just to get clay in her hands, to get her mind and body focussed on the clay. I really liked that idea and took it to be my assignment. But I have long since dropped this habit.

Up to the shop I went, full of good intentions. Finally after getting the studio warm and packing some pots to ship (see what happens, even to good intentions?) I was able to wedge up some clay and get to work. After a couple of board of mugs and little jars I realized that it was Noon! Where had the morning gone?

The assignment.

For all the makers of clay things, here's my challenge for you. Depending on when you get around to reading this, plan on going straight to work the next morning with the intention of making 12 things by 12 noon. Anything goes.

Send me (michael[at]klinepottery.com] a picture (jpeg) of what you come up with and I'll post it on Friday! Now go out there and make some stuff.

But, thanks for reading.

It could be fun.