(word 33)

Let’s get TOGETHER.

“Together we can do so much.” Helen Keller

“…groups are very important because they force us to progress. If you’re all alone, all you can do is laugh at yourself, but if you’re with others, you’ll laugh and then immediately act. Groups challenge us. Groups allow us [...]]]>

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(word 33)

Let’s get TOGETHER.

“Together we can do so much.” Helen Keller

“…groups are very important because they force us to progress. If you’re all alone, all you can do is laugh at yourself, but if you’re with others, you’ll laugh and then immediately act. Groups challenge us. Groups allow us to choose our affinities. Groups create a collective energy, and ecstasy comes more easily because everyone infects everyone else.” – The Witch of Portobello by Paul Coelho

The family. The classroom. The workplace.

When I recently realized I no longer wanted to work alone, I was shocked. I had always been geared, wired I thought, to work solo in the studio. Now I wanted others around me.

To share. To motivate. To learn.

Had my passion changed?

Well, you know how things are. The invitation to join the class “I’d Follow My Passion if Only I Knew What It Was” arrived in my inbox. And I just laughed. Then signed up.

“Does your passion change over time?” I asked. Her answer brought clarity and reassurance. “No, your passion is core to who you are. It really doesn’t change. But yes, it can be experienced/expressed differently over time.”

The power of coming together.

Provides answers. Creates movement. Ensures growth.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

STUDIO STUDIES

Commitments for the next couple months . . .

Social Media class – the wonderful new world of
Subvert AAA program – creative business mojo
Passion workshop – self discovery
MasterMind training – how to improve

(word 32)

This week, as I looked at our word ACHIEVE, I was again reminded we each live with our own unique set of circumstances. They set the stage on which we must perform.

These seasons of circumstances clearly influence our output. For this reason, I declare “to achieve” is relative.

In some seasons, goals are accomplished [...]]]>

Ceramics.

(word 32)

This week, as I looked at our word ACHIEVE, I was again reminded we each live with our own unique set of circumstances. They set the stage on which we must perform.

These seasons of circumstances clearly influence our output. For this reason, I declare “to achieve” is relative.

In some seasons, goals are accomplished with ease. The view, the color, the temperature of promise. Everything is going great. Life feels terrific!

Other seasons, just getting the kids to school is an accomplishment. There are health issues, relational hardships, financial struggles. Life stinks, and “nothing gets done!”

But the truth is something is ALWAYS getting done. Some work is seen, external, and quantifiable. Other work is unseen, internal, and unmeasurable. Both are essential for growth, for happiness.

When preparing for the performance, look realistically at your circumstances and determine what is reasonable in this season. Give grace and space. Be generous. Set expectations you can achieve. Success is motivating.

“Goals are a means to an end, not the ultimate purpose of our lives. They are simply a tool to concentrate our focus and move us in a direction. The only reason we really pursue goals is to cause ourselves to expand and grow. Achieving goals by themselves will never make us happy in the long term; it’s who you become, as you overcome the obstacles necessary to achieve your goals, that can give you the deepest and most long-lasting sense of fulfillment.” Anthony Robbins
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

STUDIO MUSIC

Whisperings : Solo Piano Music

(an essential stage prop most days)

(word 31)

What if people were motivated to dream because of you?

What if people were encouraged to act because of you?

What if the world changed because of you?

Dream and others will be inspired to dream.

Act and others will be inspired to act.

Live true and [...]]]>

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(word 31)

What if people were motivated to dream because of you?

What if people were encouraged to act because of you?

What if the world changed because of you?

Dream and others will be inspired to dream.

Act and others will be inspired to act.

Live true and the world will change.

STUDIO NEWS

This week I did my first glaze firing with cone 6 clays.
The “olive drab” kiln curtain arrived and was hung.
Two racks were purchased for staging ware.
The kiln area is coming together.
I have dreamt.

See blog post for pics.

(word 30)

Our word this week . . . LOVED

. . . held in deep affection, cherished.

It feels good to feel loved. It changes the filters through which one see the whole world. It brightens, lightens the day.

When loved, one feels . . . > happy > content > joy > [...]]]>

Oh yes and pets make us feel loved too!

(word 30)

Our word this week . . . LOVED

. . . held in deep affection, cherished.

It feels good to feel loved. It changes the filters through which one see the whole world. It brightens, lightens the day.

When loved, one feels . . .
> happy
> content
> joy
> peace
> hope

I feel loved when I feel listened to. Don’t you?

To be heard is BIG. Someone is taking their time and attention and giving it to me. I feel cared for, valued. Their offering of love makes me feel loved.

Is it possible the YOU inside needs to be listened to?
Given time and attention? Made to feel valued and loved?

As the listener, you give love.
As the talker, you receive love.
If you are both sides of the equation, guess what? You can create “loved” for yourself.

And that means . . .
> happy
> content
> joy
> peace
> hope

You are talking.

Are you listening?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

STUDIO BANTER

Do I handbuild or throw?
Do I teach or just make?
How many hours am I willing to work?

Only I can answer.

Only if I dare listen.

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(word 29)

How are you running your business?

Everyone is a business owner operating out of his or her own flesh and blood workplace. Inside, work is conducted privately. Outside, work is transacted with others. You are the sole proprietor of your “body business”.

Our word for this week [...]]]>

Click to shop.

(word 29)

How are you running your business?

Everyone is a business owner operating out of his or her own flesh and blood workplace. Inside, work is conducted privately. Outside, work is transacted with others. You are the sole proprietor of your “body business”.

Our word for this week . . . ENTREPRENEUR

Initially I thought enthusiastically “everyone is an entrepreneur!” But in fact, not all have clocked into the possibilities.

Entrepreneurs have an internal fire. To make a difference. Willing to step up to the plate. To risk hitting or missing. A commitment to improving percentages. A need to pour into a cause and cause it to happen. For the greater good.

Time for your annual review. Since you’re the boss and the only employee, it should be easy to schedule.

Are you running your business as an entrepreneur?

* Do you arrive early to get a jump start on things or are you late with excuses?
* Are you organized for expansion or stuck in daily routine?
* Do your numbers add up or are you off balance?
* Are you willing to risk despite being afraid?
* Do you feed the business what it needs to grow and thrive?
* Do you have a plan that you review regularly?
* Are you flexible enough for the storms?
* Do you celebrate and reward victories?
* Do you seek help when necessary?
* Do you lend help if needed?
* Do you engage each day with passion and leave energized, knowing you changed the world for the better?

As a sole proprietor, you are in charge of every aspect of the business. Consider its health. Its mission. And its long term profitability.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

STUDIO UPDATE

Seth Godin’s mention of my pottery brought in many new readers. Welcome, guys and gals! Hope to encourage. Feel free to leave comments at www.moveUPWoRD.com.

The “Seth project” was a HUGE studio commitment and well, I really should celebrate. Right, the victories. Tomorrow.

Ok, today.

Thanks for encouraging.

(word 28)

“If an object or expression can bring about, within us, a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object is said to be wabi-sabi.” Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence

When I began making ceramics two years ago, I knew exactly what I wanted to [...]]]>

Click to shop.

(word 28)

“If an object or expression can bring about, within us, a sense of serene melancholy and a spiritual longing, then that object is said to be wabi-sabi.” Wabi Sabi: The Japanese Art of Impermanence

When I began making ceramics two years ago, I knew exactly what I wanted to do… make ceramics that spoke. I needed to be authentic and real. Handmade imperfection, unglazed fired clay and irregular textured surfaces became the language.

The Japanese term “wabi sabi” was used several times to describe the work. It describes both an aesthetic and a philosophy.

Wabi is rustic, simple and quiet. It refers to understated, subtle beauty. The quiet beauty that waits patiently to be discovered. It also refers to the natural quirks and irregularities that come from the process of construction, from being human.

Sabi is serenity that comes with age. The beauty of patina, visible wear and repairs. It is about the natural cycle of life – growth, decay and death. The cracks, the marks of time, weather and use.

Together, wabi sabi is about process, and it involves continuous change, evolution. Nothing is perfect, nothing is complete, and nothing lasts.

In it, we slow down. Live simply.
Fill with gratitude. Unclutter.

Sounds good, huh?!!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Our word for this week . . . STILL

WARNING: this post is not for the faithless. If the word “God” causes alarm, read no further. DELETE. Today I just can’t help it.

Each week I approach a different word, a word determined by a random drawing done in January. My writing, a reflection [...]]]> (word 27)

Our word for this week . . . STILL

WARNING: this post is not for the faithless. If the word “God” causes alarm, read no further. DELETE. Today I just can’t help it.

Each week I approach a different word, a word determined by a random drawing done in January. My writing, a reflection of the moment. There is no real connection week to week except that it comes from one vessel, me. I write what I hear…

And so there are, in the midst of life, moments when the sun shines through. It clears the fog and brings to light the beauty of a day. The gift. The marvel of the clouds, the song of the birds, the artistry of the natural world.

All this has been created. It exists because of a powerful imagination. One far greater than ours. An idea beyond our reach. And yet we see the evidence. And we feel it every time we create. I call this genius God.

The mystery of it. The power that sits among us and in us and moves through us. The gift of inventing, choosing, loving. Each day we are invited to engage. To connect as we truly are. Unconditional love at its purest. The promise of the heavens.

We are even a wonder. Our journey a series of lessons learned not by being right but by being “wrong”. As we sit in the dark, God is there. In the midst of our thoughts, worry and regret, He reassures. He knows. He feels.

And outside, the sun faithfully rises, STILL. The sky celebrates the dawn. And His light makes all things new.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

STUDIO THINK

Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love, gave a brilliant talk about nurturing creativity. Be inspired! Her closing remarks… so profound and beautiful. (20  minutes) Click here to listen.

(word 26)

VISION involves seeing . . . our word for the week.

We sat in the terminal two extra hours waiting for our plane to land. It was circling overhead until the tropical storm cleared.

Such is life. Frustrating at times. Dealing with things outside our control. Sometimes we are [...]]]>

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(word 26)

VISION involves seeing . . . our word for the week.

We sat in the terminal two extra hours waiting for our plane to land. It was circling overhead until the tropical storm cleared.

Such is life. Frustrating at times. Dealing with things outside our control. Sometimes we are forced into a holding pattern with no choice but to wait.

Within every delay is an opportunity (or two). How often do you get this kind of time? Look around. What could use your attention?

Look inside. Take some time to reflect and review. Get back in touch with that still, small voice. Check your direction, your dreams. Adjust if necessary. Get that vision clear. Now’s the perfect time.

Look outside. My daughter and I reflected on our trip and all the memories gathered. She finally found the teen magazine she had been searching for. And the large, stable bathrooms were greatly appreciated. All because of the delay.

Then the storm passed, and we were up in the air. It was safe, and we were clear . . . in more ways than one.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

(word 25)

Children are masters of playful expression. William Fry, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Stanford University Medical School, says the average kindergarten student laughs 300 times a day. Adults, 17.

“We don’t stop laughing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop laughing.”

Our UPWoRD for this [...]]]>

Click to shop.

(word 25)

Children are masters of playful expression. William Fry, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Stanford University Medical School, says the average kindergarten student laughs 300 times a day. Adults, 17.

“We don’t stop laughing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop laughing.”

Our UPWoRD for this week is whimsy, and it involves whim, playful expression, and humor. Like my pottery.

Imperfection.
Like our humanness.

Ice water spilled down the shirt.
Trip into the mud puddle.
Using the hotel’s lotion “shampoo”.

It’s imperfection that makes us laugh.
Not perfection. So relax and be yourself. Life is so short!

On this July 4th, as you live loud, laugh loud. Sprinkle those cupcakes with plenty of whimsy. And don’t forget the sparklers!

Happy Independence Day ;0)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

STUDIO NEWS

It’s funny how vacation changes things.

(issue 24)

When I moved from New Jersey to Texas in high school, there was a lot to adjust to. One big difference, “the hug”. A little word with a lot to say, HUG.

In Jersey, you hugged only your family. In Texas, you hugged everyone. And everyone hugged you. [...]]]>

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(issue 24)

When I moved from New Jersey to Texas in high school, there was a lot to adjust to. One big difference, “the hug”. A little word with a lot to say, HUG.

In Jersey, you hugged only your family. In Texas, you hugged everyone. And everyone hugged you. Like it or not, that was “the way”.

Now, years later, that’s my way. Because the hug says it all. Something magical happens when hearts touch. Something passes beyond words.

A hug mends, it encourages, it comforts. It loves.
At any age.
For every age.
It whispers deep.

So hug like you mean it.
Both arms with pressure.
It’s a gift you deliver.
A message eternal.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

STUDIO NEWS

On vacation for two weeks . . . finishing National Jump Rope Competition in Galveston, Texas. Monday it’s inland to Houston for family and family. A year’s catch up to do. Hope I get to jog.

ps. Back July 8.