04/22/2026
I was given a special reminder yesterday—a sincere, kind, and encouraging word can make all the difference! Monday morning, I picked up three of my finished pottery projects that I’ve been working on for weeks. These involved new exploration, dreaming, imagining, and anticipation, hoping for some beautiful and exciting things. I was so disappointed and discouraged for an entire day. The pieces did not turn out at all like I had imagined and hoped. I was trying new processes and new glazes. Then yesterday, two loved ones told me they really liked my pieces and thought they were beautiful—and it made all the difference. To be sure, both of them were family members, so they’re probably a little biased, but I could tell they were sincere! The ribbon vase that I made, my new thing I love doing, I experimented with a new glaze for me, and it came out very different than I was expecting. But both family members want to buy it (though one is a 10 year old and said “Except, I don’t have any money!”) I love the tissue holder and how that came out, but it warped even more in the final firing, and it has a significant crack in it, which I will repair, but I won’t be able to sell it. So I went from “Maybe I should quit … I’ll never be a potter!” to “Hey, if at first you don’t succeed …”
