Tuesday, January 1, 2019

Looking Ahead

A new year! To paraphrase Anne, of Green Gables fame, "just think, a whole (year) ahead with no mistakes in it yet!"

So I have one resolution for 2019, and it is: try not to make so many mistakes.

I've made a Plan. I've listed all the events/sales/markets etc. that I usually do. I've listed some new ideas I'm definitely going to work on. I've listed what equipment needs maintenance and how I'm going to do it. I have Goals. As they say, a Goal without a Plan is just a Dream, but I cleverly made the Plan first.

I'm not going to spend January and February doing paper work. It's already done! Soon as the T-4s arrive, boom, I'm getting my income tax done. No procrastinating, then rushing, then getting something wrong, then racing around to correct it.... nope, not this year.

I'm not going to push away thoughts of a big order I knew darn well I needed to start on in June until the end of July and then working long days to get it done by deadline. Customer doesn't get their s..t together to finalize their order so I can start on it, I'll them I can't do it. For sure. Maybe.

I'm going to make those large Red Fox mixing and bread making bowls which were ordered if it kills me. I'm not going to get too much glaze on them so that it melts and runs and attaches the pots to the shelves... I'm not going to accidentally over-fire the kiln so the bisque fires to glaze temp and the ware is ruined because now I can't get the glaze on... I'm not going to finally achieve half a dozen nice looking bowls which, when I bravely measure them, are all 1" too short. It can be done. Concentrate, pay attention, bribe the Kiln Gods... whatever it takes, I need those 3 customers off my neck.

I'm never again going to listen to customers who sail into my booth, look around, and ask for some design which they don't see, and then promise to make some soon. They never meant to buy any, they were just letting me know they weren't buying my work, and IT WAS MY FAULT. So phoo on them. Don't see any Pine and Winterberry? Tough bananas.

See? I'm all ready for 2019! So is Rosie-goof:


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