pottery land

Here in pottery land I have been working some seriously long hours day and night to make the last few pots for our second firing.  After the last firing two weeks ago we just didn't quite have enough pots to load it, so getting going again in the studio there's always that excitement and hope of all the pots I dream of making. Well the reality is, I just can't spin them out as fast as I can think of them.  But I've been feeling like a machine sort of, as I stocked up on the necessary mugs, cups and bowls.  With these two firings, this should get me through December and although I'm sure I'll be back making pots soon again, I probably won't be doing another wood firing until winter.  I had so many shows and events scattered about this year that I haven't slowed down since, well... I'm not really sure.  There was last winter where I worked to fill wholesale orders, some spring shows, then I got married, then there immediately were summer shows to fire for, then there were fall shows to fire for, and now I'm hoping for a fall break very soon! The kiln being so big can be great, but sometimes filling it seems much more daunting, so often I find myself thinking of my dream studio and kiln and I envision a few different kilns in all shapes and sizes...two more years here at the Energy Exchange, which will fly by.  But Will and I are already thinking ahead to the big what next question, and thoughts are heavy as we mull over ways to do it.  I know what's next. It's just making it happen. Buying a house, setting up our permanent studio, and living happily ever after in pottery land, right? It's a great land here alright. A hard working land, where self employed means your boss doesn't let you off very often or very easily, where you have to put on many hats, hold on tight and grow tough, hard shells and ride the roller coaster of an artist.  Yet I do what I love and I love what I do and that really and truly is something to be very grateful for.