CRACKS & FLAWS

I'm really fortunate to receive emails from so many of my clients and beadmaking students that really 'share' life news and oftentimes attached are ideas or 'clippings' found somewhere such as this one below...

I really treasure these e-notes because they are person to person - not just a forward where the recepients are one of hundred emails on a list. Each of these emails shares a pebble of good news, or troubles, triumph or tragedy, or just a cheery 'good morning!' along with the piece that often promts the letter (again such as this one below).

Each of these emails is like getting a letter in the mailbox years ago! (am I dating myself?! lol)
This is one such e-note from someone, (thank you!) and I thought I'd share....
___________________________

In a village far away an elderly woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.
After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.
"I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."
The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?
That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them."
"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.
Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."
Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives interesting and rewarding.

THE WRITTEN WORD

4:59 a.m.

I love email ~ and now that I've met blogger I love 'comments' too)!
I sink deeply into reading the content of notes from friends and 'not yet discovered friends' (each email/meeting holds that possibility!) and I'll tell you why I feel this way about email...
Even tho tech-culture has made the world spin faster and made us endlessly available it's also returned to our culture something the phone and fax removed - the art of written communication. Not unlike scripted pen and paper letters of old, WRITING (via email) returns to us the ability to ponder what people say to us and the ability to form our thoughts replied in a way that is (IMO) deeper and more lasting. Don't think for a moment I don't enjoy a rollicking spontaneous phone conversation with a friend or client - I do! But still when it's over, it's done. Admittedly long saved emails don't have the VISUAL allure of a stack of old letters tied with ribbons in a box. Yet I find I go back to my email folders to re-read thoughts people have shared with me. You'd be surprised how often you'll write to me sharing a story or quote or a bit of chat, and within those lines I gain an insight, or a laugh in the midst of an impossible day..... And when I write in return, I immerse myself in the words, able to stop and think as I write. Things I'd like to share come to mind. Perhaps a story from years past that may help - or some insight that I'm hoping may be useful in a difficult time someone's facing.
I'm dismayed at the many things that I wish I'd shared but escaped my mind when I'm on the phone. How often I've thought 'I wish I'd remembered to say/share that!' after I've hung up the phone. But the immediacy of the telephone (as good as it can be) doesn't allow for 'pondering' the way writing does. I don't suppose I have a point to this, aside from the fact that I enjoy your emails/comments tremendously.... Be it a series of missives we share about life, a chat about business, a line or two in relation to vexing moments in life or a quick 'hello! ' from an old friend or client (or a friend yet to be made)!
In my mind the written word still rules because of the way it allows us to REALLY connect!
So do feel free to write ~ any time!.....
refo315

OLDIE # 3 ARE YOU FAMOUS?

*

2004-01-13 - 4:48 a.m.

ARE YOU FAMOUS?

The email exchange that sparked this entry has so many facets, it’ll probably be good for several writings… lol.. But let me begin at the beginning…

As a full time studio artist one of the apsects of my business is teaching. I teach lampwork beadmaking (among other lampwork and marketing classes) on a very regular basis & have for years. I hope to always teach. I’ve been an artist in residence, I’ve done copious numbers of demos, I’ve been invited to teach at some significant events. No matter what the particular situation, teaching is one of my joys. For me there is no greater thrill than working with/teaching someone who is simply curious about glass and seeing them, step by step, fall in love with it as a material, an art, a passion. I consider it a great honor to be part of the ‘time line’ of holding these ancient skills in my head, heart and hands and passing them on as my father passed them to me...

So, I advertise, I have class info on my website, many students arrive by word of mouth reference. I am incredibly pleased that students travel from all over the country to study with me. It’s really and truly wonderful and I watch the progress of every one of my students with fondness and pride.

But this email requesting class info, well when I read it, I just had to laugh out loud! ;-) It started out normally enough, the usual yadda yadda about I see you teach, I’m interested in yadda yadda, can I have further information etc etc… So far very normal exchange. But the last line was the treasure …. It said“and I also wondered, are you (as a teacher, glassworker) famous” ?Hmmmmmm….Now aside from wondering how Emily Post would recommend I answer, (grin) I really had to stop and think…. Just what would qualify me as ‘famous’ in the art glass/bead world? Hmmmmmmm….. And just why would that matter? (I understand wanting to know qualifications, asking for recommendations - for sure!) But famous… hmmmmm…I’d really LOVE feedback on your thoughts on this one guys…. I haven’t a clue what qualifies one as ‘famous’.

But it did make me wonder how/if/why it matters and if so what YOU think of when ‘famous beadmaker' or 'famous lampwork teacher' is bantered about…. So please DO write and share with me your thoughts/insights on this one…But I digress... As it turned out after I”d supplied all the other class info and was at the point I had to respond to her last question of "are you famous", here’s how I decided to reply:

I simply wrote:

"Not Yet" :-)

OLDIE #7 REJECTION (OR PTRS)

One of my fav oldies....

Like the basic black dress

it's a post that never goes out of style

but addresses (lol pun alert)!

Black dress - addresses, lol)

a topic that tortures all artist

established or new....

Odlie 7 REJECTION (or PTRS)

2004-03-04 - 7:30 a.m.

Fear of failure....

A client (who's become a close friend!) and I were recently discussing

professional rejection - you know the dreaded 'your work is lovely,

we'll let you know...' that ends in a thick envelope of returned slides

generally accompanied by a single limp piece of paper full of check

marks in the 'rejected' column. Speaking for myself I have enough of

these letters to wallpaper a room (or two).

I think it's one of the more difficult

aspects of being in business for yourself ~ this process of

putting your work out in the world for the publishers to publish

and/or for the public to adore and (hopefully) adopt.

You and you alone are 'it' from the first design draft to

the submissions/hopeful waiting to success or rejection.

And you're the only one to deal with the PTRS

(post traumatic rejection stress, lol).

It's something working

in the corporate world spares you.

If 'the company' (fill in the name) loses clients, business,

profits, accounts, employees it's obviously the 'fault' of

management' thereby insulating you from agony and angst on

a personal responsibility level. But the arrows head for

you and you alone when you are in biz for yourself

or are self promoting your art, your dream your vision.

Me, I'm particularly insane, as I do both.

I run my own business which offers

and promotes my art, heart, soul, dream.

But I have a theory (don't I always?! lol)

I think that rejection, a tough form of responsibility, makes

you stronger, makes you sharper, and encourages and forces

you to higher levels of skill in business, marketing, creativity

and emotional growth. All of which are

(IMHO) solid artistic, business and life skills.

Fear whispers

'you'll never be able to succeed on your own'

but I think of a quote

of Dave Barrys (which I edited slightly).....

"Never be afraid to try something on your own.

Remember a large group of professionals built the Titanic".

Dave Barry

Rejection, like pain, confirms you're out there trying and

alive in the midst of the adventure! So my advice to

anyone with a love of art and the desire to sell it?

Simple... just tell fear to 'fluff off'!

(and pick a room that you think will look good

decorated in 'rejection-letter-wallpaper..roflmao).

If you persist the time will come when

successes will outnumber the rejections.

Hope your day is a good one :-)

TRUE LIFE FRIENDSHIP

Remember in the first post when I mentioned
more 'un-serious' than serious? ..... lol....

One of my lampworking students sent me this - just TOO funny!

And for those who've asked, yes I do plan to move/archive

some of my favoriteposts from past years here noted as 'oldies'.
There are far to many from the past years to keep them all,
but I promise to bring over the best (aka my favorites) :-)

Enjoy this giggle (below)

__________________

True Friendship(With none of that Sissy Crap!!!! )

Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak

of true friendship.

You will see no cutesy little smiley faces on this card,
just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.

1. When you are sad -- I will help you get drunk and plot revenge
against the sorry bastard who made you sad.

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will know you finally got 'lucky' .

4. When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I get.

5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about

how much worse it could be until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.

7. When you are sick -- Stay the hell away from me until

you are well again. I don't want to catch whatever you have.

8. When you fall -- I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.

9. This is my oath..... I pledge it to the end.

"Why?" you may ask; "because you are my friend".

And remember.... when life hands you Lemons,

ask for tequila and salt and call me over !!!!!

SEPTEMBER 11 2001

SEPTEMBER 11th

Such intense pain

Such intense pride

Such passion

It will, for the remainder of my life,

be a date in time that will give me pause

An event that will ever be beyond my scope of reason

A moment in human history that is so ironically shared

by both pointless tragedy and pinnacles of heroism

Irony that shears the heart and mind asunder.

Grief passes

But sorrow deepens.

Taken

But ever remembered

By those who loved them

Ever remembered by those who knew them not....

WHERE TO BEGIN? AT THE BEGINNING OF COURSE!

I confess it fleetingly crossed my mind to begin

with 'it was a dark and stormy nite' or 'if a tree falls in the forest...'

But it seemed wrong somehow to drive you insane on the very fist post

(I'll save that for later, lol)...

So instead I'll just say that those of you who've followed my last

few years of journal a la' cyber
know what to expect, and will hopefully enjoy this new format.

Anyone new? well you'll be amused (or not) at the sometimes serious

tho more commonly not-so-serious ramblings of a

full time self employed artist who is possessed of a muse that mutters....