Slow Going

Fall is a time when I am reminded to take stock of what I have accomplished and what I haven't accomplished over the past months since the beginning of the year. I have struggled with getting motivated to finish the tasks on my TO DO list lately. The lower light and cooler temperatures are a bit of a damper for some of us-- me included. But I did go to the Finger Lake region of New York recently and that has provided some inspiration for several things.

One of the things that I keep saying I want to do since the kids are grown is travel more. But I find myself making excuses when it actually comes down to it. I had an opportunity to accompany my husband to Syracuse, NY on a business trip last year and I passed at the last minute. This time, I went.

I loved it.

I was able to hang out with friends of ours that had moved from Kansas to Geneva, New York and they were gracious and absolutely amazing ambassadors for their new home area. I left New York with a thought that I could easily see us living there if only there were jobs in my husband's industry. One of the things that I am stoked about is going back in May for the Finger Lakes Pottery trail. I bought a really cool coffee scoop from an artists collective when we were in Ithaca (I love Ithaca!!!) and noticed there are a lot of potters in the area that participate in the pottery tour. I am going back for a longer period in May so that I can engage and explore more of the area. The waterfalls and the trails are amazing there. I fell in love with the downtown areas of several places and we went to the Corning Glass Museum, which we both agreed we will come back again and spend at least two days there. I didn't really explore Syracuse too much since we had a busy agenda, but that is on the plans for the next time. It was really a great time. And it made me really think "What is keeping me from traveling more?!". The kids are grown and I can board the dogs if my husband is traveling with me. Or we can take them with us if we can find a place that accommodates four legged friends. It is all in the perspective. I sometimes hold myself back. Time to get over that. I want to take the train next time. Or drive part of the way so that I can load up the car with pottery. LOL. It was probably a good thing we were limited since we were flying.

The visit to the artist collective in Ithaca really gave me a much needed boost in creative fire. I haven't done too well at getting art completed and shows applied to since last year. I am in a fallow period, which is ok, but it is time to get fired up again. I have several drawings in various stages of completion and I am working on taking some of my work into three dimensional form--possibly in ceramic. Lately I have spent a fair amount of time throwing bowls for the local Empty Bowls event and a couple other things. Throwing on the wheel is pretty relaxing. I have a membership to a maker space here in town and there is a great ceramics area that is available to members 24/7. Going in during the early morning hours when there is absolutely nobody in the room--or in the whole makers space sometimes-- is a very calming ritual. That said, I am getting to the point where I am amassing a fair amount of bowls and other pottery, so it is time to start figuring out what to do with it. I am perfecting the bowls and then moving on to other forms in the coming weeks. I will probably do some of my drawing on ceramics, but getting the forms down is a priority. I feel like I am hopefully coming out of my hibernation creatively, which is good. There is nothing fun about being blocked creatively.