Sometimes it’s the small steps getting done that can make you feel really accomplished. It feels wonderful when I bring my pots to the studio for bisque firing. Dropping off pots is a small step in toward the end product, however:
1) I got all my greenware across town without breakage!
2) My shelves got emptied, which gives me room to make more, and even better thrown pots.
3) Taking the greenware across town gives me a reason to get out of the house and spend the rest of the day with my husband.
Last week my pots were relinquished to the care of the kiln gods. Today I will go by the studio and thoroughly rinse all my bisqued pieces. I find that the glazes turn out better when I include this step. Then tomorrow, the clean, dry pieces will be glazed, and given back into the care of the kiln gods. 🙂 This prospect makes me one very happy girl!
So tell me, what little things make you feel happy and accomplished?
It's Great Being Wright 
3 replies on “Optimism and Baby Steps”
Trying to write everyday would be a major accomplishment for me. It’s not much, but that’s 30 hours in a month … now that’s something. BTW, I’ve always wanted to do pottery. There’s a place called Color Me Mine in California, but it’s not the same since all one can do is paint already made “generic” pottery, then the store fires it up. Question: why is it better to rinse the pots before glazing?
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Hi Lafemme! Not everyone washes off their pieces after the bisque firing. However, I have started lightly sanding my pots before any firing, which creates a lot of dust. I find that rinsing the bisqueware gets rid of any residual dust, and the glazes adhere better – smoother finish, less pinholing, etc. Unfortunately, though, it also means that I have to wait an extra day before glazing, because the pots need to be dry.
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Pretty much the same as you Stephanie. My ware shelves are filling up and I’m desperately hoping that my new kiln is going to be installed in the next week or so in order to be able to fire everything before Christmas. Baking cakes is also very satisfying!
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