Mudnjoy@AOL.COM on mon 2 apr 01
Is it play, is it work, am I successful?
Lots of what I do is play, stimulates my eye, pleases or further develops
my aesthetic judgment, give me pleasure. Yep it's play.
Lots of what I do is work, lifting, wedging, building hanging backings for
my wall pieces, priming the wood, threading the wires, nerve racking, "Will
those kiln shelves hold one more time?" Loading up my truck for show or
gallery visits. Anything I don't feel like doing but do anyway is work. Yep
it's work.
Am I successful? "Well my tiny house and studio are paid off, (at least
till I build on hopefully this year,) my 17 year old pickup is paid for, I
don't have any outstanding credit card bills and I have health insurance!!!!
Most importantly I have more choices than regular 9-5 ers, I can drop
everything and tend to family medical emergency clear across the state if I'm
needed for as long as I'm needed. Yep I'm successful.
Morally I think humans should do "work" that is meaningful and fulfilling
to themselves. Health, home and auto Insurance is just gravy.
Every job has it's delights, horrors.
In the 80's I worked part time at a florists, Time and time again people
would say. "Oh isn't it pleasant to work with the lovely flowers, I can't
imagine a more pleasant job?"
My response, "Oh yes the flowers are lovely and I enjoy caring for the
plants. Those are the pleasant parts of the job. Selling funeral flowers to
the grandparents of a 16 year old isn't quite as pleasant, working 16 hour
days with 3 phones ringing the whole time isn't stress free. Dealing with
costumers screaming in your face because one of the 6 deliveries to his
secretaries came on a later delivery by mistake, somehow dealing with him as
a consumer and human and acting as well mannered as possible until he
realizes in the scheme of the universe one late flower delivery isn't life or
death. All aspects of the job didn't make for a lyrical day tiptoeing in
the tulips.
Would I rather "work" in the studio or "play" with friends
I realized how much I love my work when I reluctantly accepted an
invitation to a matinee, and even though a dear valued friend was treating me
to both the movie and her company I'd rather have been in the studio and
caught up with her in a few weeks after I've finished these new pieces.
Is it work? Is it play? Is it a compulsion? Anyone can love their work.
My Mom loved sewing people up, flying with them air van to hospitals, saving
lives, did she work hell yes. Did she love it, hell yes.
In a message dated 3/26/01 2:19:54 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
gdapogny@UMICH.EDU writes:
> He blithely waved his hand and said, "Oh, I wasn't talking about anything
> real sophisticated or fancy..." then, gesturing casually at some of my
> best pots (you'll love this part), "just the ability to knock out some
> things like these and sell them at the market."
>
> I kid you not! I was actually too speechless to respond!
>
> ----Gail
Gail, I've found it very effective to give these people a few minutes on the
potter's wheel with little instruction or let them hand build something.
Most people are humbled at either their own lack of skill or the time it
takes to make anything.
Joy
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