September can be filled with found memories, anticipation and dread depending on when you are in your life's journey.
As a child, you may remember the excitement of new school supplies and a selecting your first day of school outfit and meeting new friends.
As a parent, you may remember your children's excitement for new adventures as they began a new grade and developed relationships with their teachers and classmates.
As a teacher, I know I remember both the excitement of meeting my students and the fear that things might not go as expected.
After a wonderful summer your may have ignored your studio potter To-Do-List and indulged in creative pursuits that were outside your normal flow. September is a great time to reset our mindset and get back into the flow of our creative journeys.
If you took a well-deserved break, lets look at 3 ways to get back into your groove.
Three Ways to Reset your Creative Journey:
Time Block
Mark your calendar with at least one day or night a week to create. One day will likely lead to more as clay needs attention. The important thing is to commit to one session. I have my calendar on the fridge for my family to see so they know when I am busy. Your family will respect you for prioritizing yourself for a set time each week. Try not to budge on the time, it will become your time.
You deserve it!
Challenge Yourself
Create a 30-Day Challenge. Make a pinch pot a day for 30 days. Model a different critter each day. Sketch a different mug design every day. Throw a bowl and cut it in half each day. Take photos of each day's progress and share it on social media for accountability.
The act of making will lead to more making and you'll be back in the flow in no time.
Take a Creative Class
In-Person Classes fill up quickly. Research local guilds and studios to see when classes go on sale. Seek out beginner, intermediate and advanced classes as per your current level. If you're a hand builder, take a pottery throwing class. If you are a wheel thrower, take a hand building class. If you have been working in clay all summer, consider taking a class in a different creative genre. If in-person classes are not possible for you at this time, look into online options. Several guilds in Ontario participated in the e-clay pilot project and tested out different ways to teach ceramics in a virtual setting. There just might be a perfect match for you.
To learn more about e-clay click here.
If you would like to learn with me:
I created an online Hand Building Basics course for beginners which takes you through 6 projects. I also created a Part 2 with 6 more projects. My plan is to run the courses from October to December. I usually lead up with a free 3-Day Challenge, I will notify you when I get the dates set up.
To learn more about the my online Hand Building Basics course click here.
NEW!
I am teaching a Hand Building Course in-person at the Mississauga Potters' Guild. I'll be sharing the techniques and projects from my online course with 8 participants for 10 weeks on Wednesday mornings starting October 11th. As of today there is one spot left.
To learn more about the Mississauga Potters' Guild course click here.
Sculptural Modelling Project
P.S.
P.S.S.
I changed the name of my blog from Guild n' Goals to This Potter's Progress to better align with my goals achieved and those still to come.