Stephani Stephenson on sun 31 oct 10
Hi Kelly,=3D20
you've posted periodically over the last few months about Facebook and t=
=3D
he
avenues it opens, and also decried some of the trends on Clayart. I th=
=3D
ink
what you have said has merit.
I too tend to write in a storyteller fashion. My posts tend to be longer
than the average post (said in a yogi the bear voice). I have heard from
dear friends who have torn their hair out about my long posts, especially=
=3D
the ones than lean more to the 'stream of consciousness' style of writin=
=3D
g.=3D20
We write in our own voices ! On your comment about people not playing nic=
=3D
e
on CLAYART. It is a fact that people don't play nice wherever there are
people. We each have our ways of moving through life. we prevail, we scre=
=3D
w
up,we wonder, we celebrate, we doubt, yadda yadda yadda.=3D20
But you are right, we need not feel like we are forcing or dragging
ourselves, wincing or downtrodden, irritated or seething ,to participate =
=3D
in
any given forum. Life is so short and so full. It is also true that it m=
=3D
ay
be easier to be spontaneous on other venues, without suffering as much
collateral damage. though a sidenote here, it may be just less visible
collateral damage .=3D20
But we do tend to seek our comfort zones, as there is enough to tackle i=
=3D
n
our everyday lives.
Reading your post about your stories through the years, what I remember =
=3D
is
that you gave to the list and people on the list gave back. Yes , you t=
=3D
old
many stories about your path through your MFA, for example. But you also
sought advice and assistance from everything from design projects to=3D20
materials and glazes, to.... you get my drift. A lot of people have chim=
=3D
ed
in and chipped in a positive way over the years, not only reading your
stories, but giving you advice, support, and critique. Sometimes on a da=
=3D
ily
basis. And they stuck with you.
I know when i write , it is more in the form of a one way dialogue, from =
=3D
my
desk to whoever happens to read it! that's how it feels when you hit 'sen=
=3D
d'.
(and the responses often come in days, not seconds.)I figure people will=
=3D
read it or not. agree or not. you just put it out there. you cannot contr=
=3D
ol
the response. but I think there is quite a bit of mutual response and I
think if you look back over the years, you have been both a great giver a=
=3D
nd
a great recipient of this spirit. At least that's what I saw.
It is true, this list centers around clay. You and I are similar in that=
=3D
we
have a whole realm of interests, pursuits and duties. I think you are
probably more socially involved in these other realms. Like you , (I thin=
=3D
k),
I love the absence of boundaries .By it's nature , CLAYART is more focuse=
=3D
d
,though it certainly ranges pretty wide. I think of some of the humor ran=
=3D
ts
we collectively engaged in over the years.=3D20
Like a plant it dies back sometimes after a heavy frost, then grows like=
=3D
crazy under favorable conditions of moisture and sunshine, mist and cloud=
=3D
.
In the long run, who knows, i don't know if there is anyone under 30 who
writes to the list. i don't know if there is anyone under 40 who writes t=
=3D
o
the list. Demographically speaking,( and this is going to be a horribly
mixed metaphor!) like most living things , it may pass on , or change, b=
=3D
ut
it will continue to grow in the seedlings it has produced, in the very
fertile compost it has provided by it's own existence. So maybe it is
collectively worth tending, like any garden .
Many of the voices here are voices I respect, and all of the voices here=
=3D
are voices I have spent time in the trenches with. People have put a lot =
=3D
of
work into it so people like you and I can use it at our leisure or for ou=
=3D
r
own sounding board. Like you, I do not see it as an either or question,=
=3D
but this list has provided a bit of a lifeline to me on occasion and tha=
=3D
t
counts for something .
happy halloween ,all!
Stephani Stephenson
| |
|
