Working hard
So much is happening and quickly! I’m not sure where to start. It’s currently 8:00pm. Today I started my day at 8:00AM unloading my kiln. It’s always a bit like Christmas morning. It’s so fun to see everything glazed and completed. Some of the pieces I made a month ago or so….so it can be a bit of a wait for the results. Most of the rest of the day was spent photographing and sharing my work on social media and connecting with people. I still need to add the work to my website but I digress, lol.
Since enrolling in the CLIMB program (Converting Layoffs into Minnesota Businesses) I have been one busy gal. Since joining about a week ago I have written a business plan (woof, that took some time), I’ve done online training/introduction to owning a business. I am looking for a small business mentor but have reached out to one. I was asked to speak at a panel on Thursday, signed up for a financial advisor, glazed and fired a kiln load AND signed up to be a vendor at a show coming up on March 4th!
The event on March 4th sounds really exciting. It’s a gardening seminar and they have mini sessions through out the day. Great topics for beginners and experienced gardeners. It’s at Saint Benedicts in Saint Joe. Here’s a link if anyone wants to register for the even or just wants to check it out. If you go don’t forget to stop by and say hi! https://extension.umn.edu/news/stearns-gardening-education-day-march-4-2023
All in all I am just really excited to keep moving forward and making this dream come true. Tomorrow I will be back in the studio. First to clean, because you have to have a clean studio. I know at one time my name may have been “messy Jessie” but cleaning your studio is more because there are health risks to not maintaining a clean work space. I typically clean as I go from day to day but after a glaze firing, I do a deeper clean. By mid-morning I should be back to making!
Since my layoff I have been working hard to put out good work, I am on a tight schedule during these last few winter months. My dry times for the clay are a bit shorter but also a little bit riskier because things can dry too fast, crack and break. In the summer my dry times are slower and it takes longer to put out more work. When I am in my studio I often listen to music, I’m going to start listening to podcasts and books on tape. If you have something you really enjoyed let me know!
So in a nutshell I’m a busy bee and I love sharing my work with others. I get such positive feedback and I love that what I love to make puts a smile on peoples faces. Thank you to everyone who likes, comments and shares my work. I’m sure it doesn’t seem like a big deal but it is.
