I Was Potted!

In my former life (at least one of them) I was a fulltime functional potter. I made hundreds of mugs, thousands of mini-vases and countless minibaskets (which were my trademark). I made lots of other things, too, and generally enjoyed it. Like most A-type personalities, I took a nice hobby and made it into a business. I really enjoyed the people that I met--the shopowners and the customers at craft fairs--and learned a lot about pleasing myself versus keeping up with the current market demand. Fortunately for me, they didn't often come into conflict because I think that with any craft--or art--you need to be true to yourself and your personal vision and the rest will follow. Every so often, I would throw some porcelain clay and carve into the pots--almost always flowers. It fed the soul while filling the coffers with mug sales! And other times, I would push the envelope on my strength and skills. These pitchers are an example of that (sorry about the less-than-good photography). The taller pitcher is 17" high and was made in 2 sections. When I picked it up to photograph just now, I was surprised at the heft of it. I guess I used to be a lot stronger than I am now.
My hands eventually gave out and I was facing some fairly serious surgery--and so, I quit. After manually moving literally tons of clay and then tons of finished pots, my husband requested that in my next life could I please be a jeweler. Well, quilts aren't quite as light as jewelry but, for me, creating a quilt that expresses my inner vision is just about as good as it gets.