Believe it or not.

Cross posted from here.

Intuition Report for YOU
Date: Friday, July 25th, 2008

Dearest *Insert your name here*:

You have a problem. Maybe it’s not a problem, maybe it’s more like a recurring issue. A little thorn in your side that bites you from time to time.

Whatever it is. It is there. And it has been there for awhile.

Deep within you, you have a belief about this problem/issue/thorn. Even when you flail about pretending you have no earthly clue what’s going on, what you should do or which way you should turn…you know subconsciously that you have a belief. The problem is deciding whether or not you’re going to trust it.

And by the way I do not mean the belief that your feet are too big, or your face too round or your capacity to learn or be is limited by a shortchanged brain or the belief that you’re so odd or whatever that no one could possibly ever be enthralled with the amazingness of you. Those aren’t beliefs, at least they shouldn’t be. Those are tiny minefields you plant for yourself to distract you from your truest beliefs. Step out of the minefield for a minute, wave a magic wand to disarm them all, and start again without the eeyore complex.

Don’t be so hard on yourself. Embracing or accepting what you believe in a society that constantly wants to impress you with how much more insight it has than you can be an extremely difficult task. But take into consideration the fact that you are the ONLY subject matter expert on you.

Your task today is to avoid wandering around from advisor to advisor looking for them to bless or blast your belief. Avoid putting yourself in the position of having your beliefs given to you by someone else. Shut down the mental mindfield. Instead…ask yourself this question…

Why am I so unwilling to believe in this belief? Is it because I am afraid of being incorrect? Am I afraid I will be rejected by those I love and who love me? Do I trust others more than I trust myself? And if so, when exactly did that happen?

Finally, if I chose to move in opposition to this belief – will I find more peace…or less? And then…

Believe it, or not.

Kitchen Utensil Holder

kitchen utensil holder

Originally uploaded by Cherrie712

This piece stands about 5.25 inches tall and 5.25 inches wide at the mouth. The glaze was a spattered assortment of Khakatile, Fat White, Apple Green Celadon and Iron Brown Black. Not sure I could get that effect again if I tried, but I was happy with the final product.

Not sure if I’m going to let this one leave the house yet. I’ve been throwing things bigger lately and I’m still grinning at the accomplishment.

I’ve got a few things waiting to go in the glaze kiln and several more pieces to glaze. I hope to share them with you soon.

One of my recent favorites.

large jar

Originally uploaded by Cherrie712

This jar was done in a spodumene glaze with a touch of iron oxide around the rim, and some heavy splatters of teal, or one of the greens. Sized: 5 inches tall x 5.25 inches wide at widest point. I’m pretty sure I want to hold onto this one, at least for now.

The objective during my next session is to work on height in my pieces. Developing shapes from the basic cylinder.

Pottery & Pondering.

When I took my first pottery class in May of 2007 I was eager to dig into a craft that had been calling to me quietly since I was a child. While I am still very much a beginner, its become a hobby I simply can’t live without. While I’ve been blogging for a little over six years in different spaces about everything and nothing, most of my content has been personal, professional, political or social.

Here, in this space, its all about the clay and what thoughts stem from my time in the quiet of the studio. There may be cross posts, but probably not often.

As I’ve learned techniques aligned with wheel throwing, glazing, firing and finishing, I’ve consistently been amazed at how there are so many life lessons to be learned in any artistic endeavor. Patience. Restraint. Trust. Purpose. Vision. Focus. Perserverance. Instruction. You learn from your failures as much as you do your achievements, possibly more.

Pottery & Pondering will be my online studio. The place where I share my work and the thoughts inspired in the making. As with any of my ramblings or expression or life itself, I look forward to the journey. You will find a gallery of my work (the good, the bad and the ugly), my various notes to self regarding wheel throwing and glazing and more often than not, my own food for thought. If any of that interests you, then I am very glad you are here.