Why I blog...

I felt the need to sit down and blog this evening. I guess I really haven't felt like I've had much to share in the way of pottery these last few days because I've only had very small amounts of time to run out to my studio. I feel guilty or a bit silly I suppose just taking photo's of the few mugs I've finally gotten handles on or spoon jars I've finished. Today I did get a few teapots thrown but spent most of the time moping my studio floor because my husband was having some fellow employees over for dinner and didn't want my studio to look a total wreck.

A few months ago I was asked to be part of a show coming up in October called "Clay and Blogs: Telling a Story". Meredith Heywood of, " Why Not Pottery" put together this wonderful show and I was so thrilled to be asked to join in with ( I believe) 50 other blogging potters. Meredith asked each of us if we could at some point write about why we blogged and since I've sort of had one of those weeks when I didn't feel like I had much to say or really any time to think about blogging, I thought "well, why do I keep up my blog?"
This photo of me above and that little boy in the background is the best reminder to me why I started blogging.

Being A New Mom:
Back when Quaid was born and I had just finished grad school I didn't really know any other Mom's who where craftspeople and I sort of felt a bit like a minority in a sea of fresh faced potters trying to make their mark in the ceramic world. As we all know, it takes a lot of effort and time to get your name out there and produce good work. I know when I was in school being able to work non-stop on one piece from 9am to 5pm was sometimes what I needed to really think about what I was trying to accomplish. For the last 9 years I can count on my hand maybe 5 days I've felt like I've even come close to a day like that in my studio. This really is not a complaint, it is just an observation on my part and one that back in 2000, when Quaid was born, never crossed my mind as being an obstacle in keeping up a career in ceramics.

The first year of Quaids life and trying to keep up with my studio work was a challenge. I basically had to figure out on my own how to keep him on an exact schedule and work in spurts around his eating and napping time. There where some days he'd sit and bounce around on the dryer for 1/2 hour while I trimmed bowls or finished up some mugs. ( My first studio was in our laundry room on the back porch).

I did have a support system with other mothers in the area where I could talk about baby issues and things like that but it was difficult for me to try and explain to these same women why I had to keep my pottery business going. Its hard to explain to someone who is not a creative person why you need that time to "make stuff" and create. I think most of us who are parents can feel a bit guilty about not spending as much time as possible with our children. We have a little voice in our heads pulling us in another direction at those times when little people just want us all to themselves. I am the first to raise my hand as a person who suffers from this quite often.

Starting my blog:
Joey was really the first one in our family to start blogging. He wrote about our family,had great photo's of the kids and somewhat strange observations about life. Most of his friends read the blog and whenever I added something to it, he'd sort of edit what I'd say and we'd go back and forth at what "our blog" was really about. About the same time Joey started our blog, my friend Ron Philbeck started his pottery blog and Joey decided this would be a good marketing tool for my work. After about a month of bloggin, I knew it was a great way to purge my thoughts about making pots and being a Mom at the same time. This way I'd connect with other women, or parents out there who where trying to juggle the same sort of issues I was.

What I've found...
Not only does this blog connect me to other Mom's/parents but I've also learned so much from readers comments and I've met so many nice people. It has been a super networking outlet for someone, like myself, who tends to be a wall flower at conferences and workshops. Talking to people on the Internet and not face to face is a whole lot easier for the socially awkward at heart!

In a way I dive off a cliff with no bungee cord when I put my thoughts and feelings out for people to read. Being someone who is so extremely dyslexic and allowing the world to see my lack for catching typo's and mis-spelled words is just extremely brave...( or at least it is to me!) I use to keep a diary until my sophomore year of college when I found my roommate reading it aloud to some of her friends one evening. I pretty much stopped writing for quit awhile after that. Strange things about being an young adult and not wanting anyone to know your vulnerabilities and than being a mother and wife and wanting to share your faults and fears!

Final thoughts...
So, I do really enjoy writing on my blog. I may not always have the greatest photo's on here and my posts at time can ramble on about many trips to school or my lack at getting anything done in my studio for a number of days. But if keeps me motivated to connect to other folks who make pots, have children or just like ceramics, well I than I guess this whole blogging adventure was a side road adventure in place of spending a 9-5 hour workday in my studio.

PS. Don't worry, the girl who read my dairy out loud...well, Karma does have a way of sneaking in!