Sunday, May 23, 2010

Not a Holiday Weekend

Today is Sunday but not a day off or a holiday. This May long weekend is cold and rainy as it is every year. It has warmed up to 3 C so far today. Those who were silly or brave enough to go camping or other long weekend plans, have my sympathies. We didn’t get snow here, but we had some very light rain. Light, meaning it floated very slowly to the ground but didn’t turn white. There was snow all around us, just not here in Edmonton.


Yesterday we loaded the kiln with Clay Teacher projects. Today I will glaze some pots so when the kiln is cool tomorrow we can unload the kids work load it right away with the production stuff. I am looking forward to getting back in the studio and making some pots. We have two wedding registries to get done and the Folk Fest to pot for. I am going to do some funky stuff. Most people don’t like my fun and funky pots, but I don’t care it is fun to do and it makes me happy. Jim is going to build a site called Cindy Clarke Pottery and it will be for the non production one of kind schtuff.


Gotta get to busy. Until next time.


Cindy

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Taking my own advice.

Almost every workshop has a student that shuts down, puts their hands on the lap and says “I can’t do it” and “I say you’re right, you can’t.” They look up at me with hurt and angry eyes because I agreed and then I go on to say” You quit. You have stopped trying, started looking for reasons why it won’t work. Your hands are not even touching the clay. With a shut down mind and hands on your lap, you are right, you can’t do it. Follow the instructions and just do it. You know how to do it, now you just have to do the work and…..do it. Once have finished, you will be so glad you didn’t quit just because it was harder than you thought it would be.” I don’t know how many times have given that little talk to a reluctant student. Friday was the last time. They always go on to make a great project and they are proud of it. You would think that I could take my own advice.


I wasn’t sure how personal to get in this blog. But then it is my blog, very few people read it and I am a personal kinda person.Writing it down puts it out there for me to read it more so than for anyone else. I have been battling the bulge for ……ever.Anyone who has watched the video we made years ago and the Youtube videos will know I am loosing the battle. I was very heavy about 13 years ago. At that time I joined TOPS and then a gym and lost 100 pounds. Well didn’t actually loose them, I put them in a place where they could be easily found. I kept it off for about 3 years and then they started creeping back just a pound or two here and there. About 5 pounds a year, for the last 10 years. Do the math!


I joined Weight Watchers about two months ago and have only lost 5 pounds. I know you can say all the things like, better than a gain, at least it is the right direction and all that crap. That is just what it is…. crap. I went to a meeting today. Ladies there had lost 5 pounds in a week not 8 weeks. Then this lady stood up she had lost enough last week to put her over 100 pounds lost. She did it. I too had done it, but then I undid it. I have no idea why, and then I thought of that little girl in my last workshop who had quit because her project was harder than she wanted to work. I had told to stop making excuses and just do it. When she was done she would be glad she had done it. She finished her project, it turned out well and she was very happy with her work and the fact that she had not quit. Then I went home from that workshop and all my good advice and coaching to continue do nothing about the weight loss I have been wanting for years. Basically I sat there with my hands on my lap, mind shut down and looking for reasons why it won’t work. I know how to do it. Follow the instructions and just do it.


When I write these blogs they are far apart and I don’t have the time, or take the time to go back and read the last one. I will ramble on through out the summer about the weight loss and getting back to working on pots that make me happy and make some money. We are planning a road trip this summer and I hope to be 25 pounds lighter than I am now. That is only 2 pounds a week, very doable. Take your own advice girl and just do it!


Until next time.

Cindy

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Freedom

The Clay Teacher is winding down and only a few weeks left of our first year. What a rush. We built it and they did come. The best thing that happened in almost every workshop was giving the children the freedom to do what they liked. I was asked so often “can I do….. fill in the blank”….. and I would say “YES”… this is your project you do it your way, as long as it fits the basic guide lines, you have the choice and the ability to make it yours. Children have this flat out honesty that looks you square in the eye when they hear about having freedom. Their whole self smiles and it lights their eyes with a light that I will never grown tired of seeing. I heard a joke once that about a little girl that came home from school and she was upset because the teacher said she didn’t colour in the lines. Her mother told her to colour anyway she liked and when she was done to draw a line around it. That is what we tried to give to the students. It is easier to think inside the box if you create your own box. I used to ask when we first started this, if the teacher wanted to adhere strictly to the project or if they were willing to let the kids go their own way. Most would say let them go, but a few would say they wanted control over the project, so I stopped asking. I learned a long time ago, if you don’t want to hear the answer, don’t ask the question. We will see next year on the repeats if this was a good plan or not. Mind you, the year is far from over. We have a number of students, projects and smiles left to come.

A young lady came to our door last night. She works for World Vision and was looking for people who would sponsor a child. .She showed us a picture of a boy that lives in Mali and it was her last boy to place for the day. She was so young, so much of a princess and so full of passion for what she was doing. She had no idea she was a princess, and there is nothing wrong with being a princess. She is just young. She lived at home and her dad was calling from his car in the neighbourhood that she was working as she went from door to door. He would pick her up after she was done and they would go out together. But the fact still remains, it was a Friday night and she was looking for sponsors for World Vision and not doing what most young girls are doing on a Friday night. She is princess about to grow into the woman she wants to be. She has the brains, the family support and the opportunity to do what she wants. Opportunity is the key word here, so many don’t have opportunities and if we can help this one boy…... We have seen this child almost daily in the schools, or one just like him, but the difference is we see him after his family has have found their way out of Africa or whatever poverty stricken country and found their way to freedom. There is that word again. We see them in the schools with English as their second language, drinking in this new and wonder life. We tried to sponsor a child in Zimbabwe a few years ago. But with all the unrest in the country, it all sort of fell apart. Mali is a much more stable country than Zimbabwe and one of the poorest countries in the world, but they do have democracy. The boy we are sponsoring is named Mamadou Togo, he is five years old and lives with his parents. His father is a farmer and his mother is self employed. We don’t know what she does, but as time goes on, we will. We are looking forward to getting to know this family. We will keep you up to date.

I threw some pots today and it felt good. I have spent a lot of energy teaching this last year and have wondered off from potting. When I spend my days in the classroom, I don’t want to pot. I give all I can to the workshop. I am still a potter and I have to find a way to balance them. I told the City that I quit teaching and then reconsidered, only for the paycheque. They have hired other teachers and my position there is most likely filled and after today I am glad. I always teach the beginners and it would be more fun to teach an advanced class and more fun yet to pick up the production a bit now that I have gotten over the ……I don’t want to make anything burn out,,,,, and not working nights or Sundays that gives me my freedom to be a potter and an artist.

Janice Joplin once said “freedom just another word for nothing left to loose” ……not true….freedom is everything, it lets you be you....

Until the next time.

Cindy

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