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question 16 (or da mayor's advice)

updated thu 6 sep 01

 

primalmommy@IVILLAGE.COM on tue 4 sep 01


Becky Schroeder answered Jack Troy's question #16 :

"Can you recall any comments about your work by another person that
influenced what you have come to make?"

Becky, Mel's responsible for my enlightenment as well...

At my first ever workshop, I was hunched over a soggy, overworked pot on the wheel, (my usual tried and true shape), afraid to pull it any higher because it might collapse... afraid to do anything but hang on for dear life and work the clay to a soggy mess. "I don't want to screw it up", I whined to the mayor.

Mel put his big hand on my shoulder and said gently, "Kelly, you're not THAT good."

Before I caught my breath he added, "You could take every pot in this workshop, including mine and Dannon's, and throw them down the gulley, and the art world will not have lost a thing."

What a freeing notion! It was all I needed to throw caution to the wind, throw pot after pot into the scrap heap, throw with abandon and joy, have the time of my life.

Whenever I find myself being too precious about a pot, I hear mel's voice and remind myself... I've got nothing to lose by pushing clay to the limits, trying new things...

Kelly in Ohio (who is not that good!)

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