phil on sun 14 mar 10
eople who know nothing Work, good Work, genuinely Good Work, excellent Work=
, Best Work...
I hate to say it, because I love Potters, I love that there are Potters, =
=3D
and, I love Pottery.
But, in occasions of going to Fairs or other venues where Potters show =3D
and sell their Work, overall, I personally feel that usually a good deal =
=3D
of it, if not a great deal of it, should be thrown away.
Some Potters, this is not the case of course...but, many, I hate to say, =
=3D
to me anyway, it is.
Many of these Potters have been doing it for years, decades, even, and, =3D
all too often, of any hundred pieces, one is lucky to find five or seven =
=3D
which barely squeak over the Bar of being just 'Good Enough', let alone, =
=3D
as good as they should be.
Uneven, overthin-to-overfat areas of Walls, confused conflicted shapes, =3D
arbitrary or procrstean Glazes, poor Feet and Bottoms, firing issues, =3D
glaze all over Feet, on and on...all the classic 'Faults' which should =3D
be screaming out to anyone of any basic understanding, Eye, and 'feel'.
Of course, what I hear, is "Hey, I got time and money tied up on =3D
those...no way I'm gunna throw them out..."
What a horrible attitude of insular cynicism and shallow vanity over =3D
sense or self respect or respect for one's Craft...leaving aside, =3D
respect for one's Customers.
"LEARN YOUR CRAFT"
So, lugged to show after show, pileing up in garages or whatever, =3D
"Junk", where, even if some poor boob did buy it, it is still bad =3D
work...maybe some people buy it, others don't...either way, Bad Work is =3D
"Bad Work".
Patronage from a buying public is no measure of anything, other than, =3D
they bought it.
This too often seems to be as far as a lot of Potters get...if even =3D
getting enough 'there' to feel rewarded enough not to complain.
It takes no more time and money to produce genuinely Good Work, =3D
excellent Work, or, one's so to speak Best Work.
Probably, it takes less time and money in fact, for being more clealry =3D
understood and done with right understanding and right skill...less time =
=3D
and money for being forthrightly done/made/Thrown and or Trimmed, less =3D
fussed or fudged or doted or forced.
Happier in the Making, Happier thereafter...and, for being elegent in =3D
it's making, elegant in it's self-presentation, and, elegant in it's =3D
happy departure in the hands of people buying it...the satisfaction is =3D
ritcheous and leads to even better openings of Mind and Heart, and, =3D
money and patronage will follow as Naturally as Flowers after a Spring =3D
Rain.
If the people buying it are the same idiots who would have gladly bought =
=3D
bad work, who cares?
At least you sold them somehting truely good or excellent, whether they =3D
know it or not.
If the Pot remains in existance long enough, sooner or later someone =3D
not-an-idiot will recognise it's merit.
Do your Best Work...and do not settle for less...no matter the 'market' =3D
or one's imagined understandings of it.
Throw away anything laying around which is less...Break it up with a =3D
Hammer, and THEN throw it away.
Whatever your Best Work is now, at whatever stage of the Journey you are =
=3D
at, do not settle for less.
Thus, THAT becomes the base line for your Work getting better than what =3D
'Best' is now...that soon becomes the least you will do...which if you =3D
get out of the way, it gladly will...and thus you grow, learn, progress =3D
in your Craft...and your 'Best' gets to be even better.
Like that...
Phil
Lv
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