Nothing like working on twenty different things and suddenly getting an idea, dropping everything for a minute, and digging right in. I have five shows to prepare for, one a really big deal, a kiln shed to finish building, kilns to get wired and hooked up, a garden to finish planting, a house to clean, vehicle work to be done, t-shirts to make, not to mention a thousand things I want to make just to see if I can.... Can we say busy? Haha. All I can say is I am loving it all! Have a wonderful and creative Thursday.

Had a wonderful day demonstrating and selling at the Rossini Festival in downtown Knoxville this weekend.Got a pretty nasty burn when the wind got the best of my flame, but didn't lose the piece. :-). News stated 100,000 people. I believe it! We were set up on artisan row right by the jazz stage, which was fun. Sales were good, not great, but good and Tiana, my youngest daughter, debuted her goat's milk soap and did quite well. It was an enjoyable and very long day. Felt so good to be back at a larger festival. It has been a while. Looking forward to more.
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   April 19 stands for a lot in my journey over the last four years as it is the day my partner of almost 25 years passed on to the next world. I thought it was an end. It was in many ways. I somehow find it appropriate that on that 4th anniversary I should begin a new chapter. I worked my last day for someone else yesterday. I made the decision to fully commit to my art. I am excited, I am terrified, I am over-whelmed, but I am doing it. Ron always believed in me and my work. To honor him I need to just do it! I now have a new partner who believes in me whole heartedly, so I know I am truly blessed and all will be okay.
    So where to begin? Well, I already have begun. I started really trying to promote my Etsy and Facebook pages a few weeks ago. I started applying and lining up some shows, I put a proposal in for an installation in Corning NY. I am creating my costume for the Glass Art Society Fashion Show (deadline looming quickly, oh my), So many things are in the works already and now the biggest thing to do is....CREATE! Heading to the studio now. Have a wonderful creative day :-).

   Finally made the decision and put in my notice at work. I am going to make a go of Wild Pony Studio full-time. It has been a long time coming, but fear has nagged me into staying put. No more! It is time to prove to myself and my critics that I have what it takes to make a living from my work. I am excited, apprehensive, overwhelmed, happy....and so much more.
   I have been spending a considerable amount of time trying to promote my Etsy and my Facebook page. I also have a few venues set up to sell. The biggest thing is getting the kiln shed completed and simply MAKE WORK! So in two more weeks I clock in with myself. Yay!

   The kiln shed is coming along. Slow, but coming. Between the weather not cooperating and the "real job", it is hard to get things accomplished as quickly as I would like. I have to stay positive and remember "Rome wasn't built in a day". I have all these projects going and new ones floating around my head that I want to start. It gets overwhelming sometimes. It becomes almost a chore to even work on one thing when I can not decide which thing I want to work on most. It is those moments that I must simply force myself to do something, anything, just do it! If I give in to the angst nothing gets done and I know this. Motivations are always helpful.
    My biggest motivator is probably deadlines. Though I am a huge procrastinator, I seem to work best under pressure. I almost need that whip-cracking sound of the clock ticking away to function at times. I get in the groove then and can push through a project. It can be such a double edged sword though because stress is not conducive to good mental or physical health. 
    I find making lists another great motivator. If I write down what needs to be done and then cross them off as I finish them I can see progress. I can see success rather than failure. I try to include things I "want' to do as well as things I must do. This allows a sense of pleasure into the equation. Today's list is not as much about pleasure but about being responsible. Hopefully I can squeeze in some pleasure. Hope everyone has a creative and fulfilled Friday. I am off to start my list. :-)