Lee on sun 6 nov 11
On Sun, Nov 6, 2011 at 8:49 AM, mel jacobson wrote:
>
> there is a real truism...`hollywood does not come to you, you go
> to hollywood`. if you are waiting for fame, it is a long wait.
Forget about being "famous." You probably have a better chance at being
a pro basketball center. My biggest hesitancy in asking to apprentice
with Tatsuzo Shimaoka, was not wanting to deal with his fame. But it was an
education to be able to see the actual burden that fame carries with it.
For example, having to spend more of your day greeting visitors than you
do making pots!
Also, visiting Warren Mackenzie this weekend and talking to him
about his sales. He cannot sell his pots from his studio gallery without a
hassle because of his fame.
If you examine the lives of famous artists, you see that timing and
chance have a great deal to do with it. Forgetaboutit!
Just follow your intuition and make the best work you can make.
Making a living isn't so difficult, especially if you make souvenir work.
A friend of mine is working for a potter and they are supplying all the
airports in Minnesota with work. My friend likes throwing this work, but
he says, "Wish we didn't have to put mooses and wolves on all of them."
Don't get me wrong, when Jean and I saw this work at the gift shops at the
State Parks at the North Shore, we were impressed. But you have to make
what they buyers want.
Make work you can respect. The biggest achievement is making pots
that people you respect, respect. When I told Warren about buying a few
of his pots to take to Japan to give to Potters as gifts he said, "Good!
I'd rather seel pots to potters or that will be give to potters because
when they go to a gallery, I never know who will get them. But I know a
potter will use them and not put them away in a cabinet or closet."
"This may sound too simple, but is great in consequence. Until one is
committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always
ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is
one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his
way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!"
-- W.H. Murray
--
Lee Love in Minneapolis
http://mingeisota.blogspot.com/
"Ta tIr na n-=3DF3g ar chul an tI--tIr dlainn trina ch=3DE9ile"--that is, =
"The=3D
land
of eternal youth is behind the house, a beautiful land fluent within
itself." -- John O'Donohue
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