Finding my inner joy.
Up until a few months ago, I had a 9-5 corporate job. I also had (and still have) a chronic illness where I have to manage my energy. There were days where all I wanted to do at 5pm was lay on the couch and do nothing and often I did just that. And sometimes I didn’t. For the past 12 years, I had painting and pottery classes in the evenings, and no matter how tired I was or what type of mood I was in, I went to my class. I always left happy and energized. It helped me find my inner joy.
I love to make, express, and channel the things in my head into art. I love to learn new things about what has come before me, the different tools that are available to me, and how you can pull all of that together with your own interpretation. Years ago, I took a class with David Dunlop at Art of the Carolinas. David was like no artist I had encountered before. He weaved stories as he lectured pulling in physics, neuroscience, art history, anthropology, his own experiences, and more. He is always talking about treating workshops as a lab, a time to experiment, try new things, let go and follow the paint. The philosophy of treating my making as a lab experiment appeals to my natural curiosity and desire to learn, and it brings me so much joy.
That’s how the lizard turned into roadkill. The lizard was a little flat when I made him. It looked like someone had stepped on his body. I decided he needed crossed-eyes, a wiggly tongue, and a wacky tail. Then, I decided I would turn him into roadkill in the glazing process. I had recently taken a carving class, and I thought it would be funny to carve tire marks into him. I went too deep. Now I have this hole in this roadkill lizard. But not all hope was lost—I could add pipe cleaners or something to represent his guts. That roadkill lizard is one of my favorite things, and every time I look at him I smile.
So, now that I have the time to make things, I found that I also need to get the things I’ve already made out of the house. (Actually not a new need, but much more necessary now.) I also have the time to do this website, write a blog post, etc. I am not a production potter, so you won’t find lots of inventory all the time. And, I’ll remake some items that I find joyful, and I’ll keep looking for new ideas to try out. Check back in to see what those new ideas are. (There may be a watering bell and a dish garden.)