Many people leave it up to luck, fate, or "Kiln gods" when firing out work.  But once you get to know your kiln, you can use it to add a whole new layer of interest to your work by how you choose to fire it. Even when electric firing, using different firing schedules, holds, cooling techniques, and much more can make your pots more exciting to create and enjoy. So be brave, put some shelf cones in your kilns, and try a few things.  I talk slowly in the podcast to explain things clearly, but I might have done a lousy job. 

Slow Cooling By the Ceramic Arts Network

A Potter's Book by Bernard Leach

https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/isbn/9780571109739/used/

My Pottery Firings Journal by Al Wayman

https://www.amazon.com/My-Pottery-Firings-Alford-Wayman/dp/B0CDZ2D6ZQ/?

Many times we may feel anxiety about how we are spending our time. Either we feel we were not as productive as we would like to be or even when we are able to complete all the daily goals we gain anxiety by adding more things. In this episode I discuss some ideas from the book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. by Oliver Burkeman. Thanks for listening! 

My Pottery Journal.

We fill many roles in our lives and community.  Putting all effort into just one role may bankrupt the other vital roles that make us who we are.  This, in turn, can have a negative effect on our work and our ability to create good work.  In order to keep receiving golden eggs from the goose, you need to take care of the goose so it is able to produce the eggs.  This means taking time to cultivate the other areas and roles of your life that allow you to keep creating work. While setting goals for your business, do not forget to set personal goals and remember to take care of yourself first to be able to create and produce good work at matters. 

Many times we might like to leave it up to others to take ownership because it's easier and lets us off the hook. However, what others do and say for us may not be what's best for us or our work and life story.  In this episode, I discuss the topic of taking ownership or our attitudes, goals, actions, and our lives. I need to work on all of these things myself.  How would taking ownership improve your life and work?  Let me know! 

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. by Stephen R. Covey (Author), Jim Collins (Foreword), Sean Covey (Contributor) 

SEE YOU AT THE TOP: 25th Anniversary Edition by Zig Ziglar

In this episode, I talk about kiln deities and their role in firing out work and the influences they have over the process. 

Overall, it was a fair and foul month, but like some say, “Done is better than perfect, and perfect is never perfect but only better “. Many times, you just need to keep showing up for yourself and others. Losing a whole buying community will take a while to walk off, but I had already started diversifying last year and so only lost about 1/3 of my revenue.

Stop by the page and say hello!

In this episode, we talk about idea generation; collecting, and the germination of creative seeds using the book "The Creative Act: A Way Of Being." by Rick Rubin  

owner / artist

Creek Road Pottery LLC

In this episode, we talk about a few ways you could use Artificial Intelligence as a creation tool.  With the rise of ChatGPT in search and the controversy and questions around AI-generated art, is it even possible to use it as a tool in creating our work?  Feel free to let me know by commenting! 

In this episode, I go over a few steps you can take to manage seasonal depression maybe and avoid an existential vacuum. We discuss Victor Frankel's ideas about Existential Vacuum in his book Man's Search For Meaning. 

Many times, makers prefer to avoid taking custom orders out of fear. In this episode, I talk about a few tips that can be done to manage custom orders better and make the experience and customer interaction more enjoyable.  I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, and may the new year bring you new projects and adventures! Feel free to leave a comment if you find these episodes helpful!

Sell or Be Sold: How to Get Your Way in Business and Life

Remember to make work that matters for folks who care!