Sue Beach on fri 8 dec 00
My husband is a musician. Since I have begun my journey into pottery, I
have discovered many correllations with his experiences making and
performing music. He is often asked to do free performances ("It will
give you GREAT exposure!"). He says, "Free gigs only bring you more
free gigs." That is not to say he doesn't do freebies sometimes; he
does. But he picks them carefully. Family and close friends are among
the worst ones to expect him to play for free. He has developed a
philosophy about playing before the public; the gigs must do at least 2
of the following 3 things: Make good music, Be a really good time, Pay
well. As long as 2 of the criteria are met, he believes it is a
successful performance.
This week I ventured into the world of selling pots for the first time.
It was a tiny step, but very enlightening. For the past 2 years at
Christmas, I have brought in to my workplace a selection of my seconds
and allowed my co-workers to choose one as a gift from me. There is
always a stampede into my office. This year, I brought in pots with
price tags on them - nice pots; no seconds; modestly priced. No
stampede. A few people came in and looked and complemented me; a few
bought. Most didn't. But I suspect next week when I bring in the
freebies, the stampede will happen again.
Just as some people will never value my husband's talent as a musician
enough to pay him to perform, some people will never value my pottery
enough to purchase. But, I know they are nice pots and I had fun making
them. That is 2 out of 3, right?
Sue Beach
Muncie, Indiana
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