David Hendley on wed 24 mar 99
What I love about what we do, even more than than
getting clay under the fingernails, is how out-of-sinc
we are with the rest of the world.
I thank God daily that I have found a way to exist in
in my own peculiar world.
A world where personal appearances are less important than
accomplishments.
A world where integrity and craftsmanship are more important
than money.
A world where older people are actually respected
and admired.
A world where nothing comes fast and nothing comes easy.
A world where honest work is valued more than hype, and it
can't be faked.
What could be better than meeting a few kindred souls on
a similar journey?
You'll never do any better than this group, Shirley.
Show up with a nice mug and a killer glaze sample and you'll
instantly be part the 'in crowd' at the Clayart room.
Truly one corner of the world that is not a beauty contest.
Name recognition? Ha. Aside from a handful of fellow travellers,
no one even knows what we're doing or why we do it.
No inflated egos here - impossible, the clay keeps you humble.
David Hendley
Maydelle, Texas
(no, I wasn't there this year. Hope to see everyone next time)
At 04:28 PM 3/22/99 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Carla,
>
>I assume you meant to encourage people to attend NCECA conferences, but
>for me your post has had just the opposite effect. I doubt I'll attend
>next year in Denver, and I'm sure I won't be visiting the Clayart room.
>With thousands of people subscribing to clayart, I can't believe I'm the
>only one who feels this way.
>
>Don't get me wrong, I really would love to meet all the people I've read
>so much from and about. I'm sure they're very nice people, and have
>given me a lot of answers and inspiration. Sometimes they've made me
>laugh, too. And, boy, would I love to taste that Belgian chocolate.
>But there's something about what you said that bothers me a lot. (I'll
>probably have to quit Clayart after this, but it needs to be said.)
>
>I just don't like beauty contests. To put it bluntly, I am not a pretty
>person, and thus, would not fit in well with your group. Please don't
>misunderstand, this is NOT coy false modesty or anything of that sort.
>I don't have beautiful eyes or a great rear end. I am short, fat, old
>and ugly. I'm also painfully shy and socially inept. I'm the person at
>the workshops who sits alone and eats lunch alone, and is afraid to ask
>a question because everyone would look at me. I smile and try to be
>friendly, but either people criticize or don't notice me at all. When I
>speak, I stumble over my words, and say the wrong things. I communicate
>much better in writing than in person. That's why I liked Clayart,
>because it's what's in people's heads and hearts that matter, not what's
>in the mirror.
>
>I know this will come off sounding like a wounded, insecure teenager,
>but that's too bad. It would be really nice if the world wasn't one big
>beauty contest.
>
>Also, did you meet anyone there who does NOT have great name
>recognition? Is it just a party for the "in crowd"?
>
>Sylvia Shirley
>(wishing I could be anonymous - I know I'm going to regret sending this)
>
Dannon Rhudy on thu 25 mar 99
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>What I love about what we do, even more than than
>getting clay under the fingernails, is how out-of-sinc
>we are with the rest of the world......>...where personal appearances are
less important than accomplishments....
>A world where integrity and craftsmanship are more important
>than money....A world where older people are actually respected
>and admired.
>A world where nothing comes fast and nothing comes easy.
>A world where honest work is valued more than hype, and it
>can't be faked......No inflated egos here - impossible, the clay keeps
you humble.
David Hendley
-----------------------------------------------
I think you could not be more right, David. It seemed to me that at least
99% of
the people I met, in and out of the clayart room, were merely hard-working
artists, taking a few days to get together with their friends and meet new
ones, see some
work, and refresh themselves a bit. I would be hard-pressed to describe their
FACES, but I could easily describe their SELVES, in nearly every case. And
much the same, in many ways: generous, kind, humorous, intelligent - one
could
hardly ask more. Conversations were wide-ranging, interesting, inclusive.
Someone once said to me that he was awfully glad he'd decided to become
a potter - there were so many decent people out there. And so there are.
Regards,
Dannon Rhudy
potter@koyote.com
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