Jill of all Trades...Master of None

 I just did a thing...I bought a small loom from my friend Mauri. She wanted a bigger one and I wanted to try weaving. I wrote about weaving in my book Just One Thing without ever having used a loom (I also wrote about pottery before my first pottery class). 

As I worked at putting my first warp on the loom I found myself thinking about all the crafts I've tried. It started with my Mom teaching me to cross-stitch and embroider, then crochet. Over the years, I learned to sew and quilt, I learned basketweaving, I learned pottery (and found my true love) and now I'm toying with weaving. I'm a Jill of all Trades and a Master of None. And that's ok.  

I talked about quilting also in Just One Thing and wrote a supposed Amish tradition (which may or may not be an Amish tradition), that they purposefully add a flaw in every quilt because nothing but God is perfect. I love that thought. 

I don't strive to be perfect. I do strive to be competent and to enjoy the process of each craft. 

I think there's a lesson in that. I know there's a lot of pressure in the world. But what if all the jobs we're striving to be perfect at, we instead allowed ourselves to make mistakes? What if when we're trying something and find we made a mistake, we think...well, that's my unintentional, intentional flaw? Maybe we'd be more apt to try something new. 

Now I suspect this world view wouldn't work so well with, well, let's say skydiving, but so many things we try won't be harmed by one small flaw. Some may be even more beautiful because of it. I think the other advantage to trying new things is...staying young. Learning, trying new things, expanding our horizons.  I'd love to hear from friends who've been expanding their horizons and trying something new.

Holly

Speaking of trying something new...
Check out some of my books!

Exclusively available for Kindle and KU.
 Around the Square
Book 1-6 are available now! Book 7 is available for preorder and the final book will be out this fall!

Slip and Fall: A Harry's Pottery Mystery #2 Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, Nook A View to a Kiln: A Harry's Pottery Mystery #1 Kindle, iBooks, Kobo, Nook
A View to a Kiln on Jeopardy!!

Hometown Hearts

Arting

I talk about a lot of craft/art in Just One Thing. Yes, even pottery...before I ever took a class. Most of my character's arting (yes, I claim that as a word) has to do with weaving. My sister-in-law had a loom and I made a couple rugs on it. I will confess, I loved the rhythm of it. Up. Down. Up. Down. I loved that same rhythm when I was making baskets.

I learned a long time ago that I'm someone who enjoys a certain order to their life. With four kids, I can't be too rigid with it, but I do like knowing what comes next. I do like rhythm.  I think that's why basketmaking, weaving and now pottery appeals to me. They have a certain rhythm to them.  Heck, even my writing has a rhythm. Get up. Answer emails. Walk the dog. Write.

But back to Just One Thing and all the crafting and arting.  I will confess, I love that I mentioned pottery in it. It foreshadowed my passion for clay. Sometimes my writing touches on my experience...sometimes on my wishes!

I'll be at HER this weekend. If you're from the area and attend the formerly For Women Only Expo, stop in and say hi! I'm going to bring along a few of my pottery pieces!!

Holly

PS Our most recent Trippin' videos.

PPS.

Polished Off

Don't forget my new release Polished Off: A Maid in LA Mystery is out! Check out Quincy's newest adventure!

Then go back to school with three PTA Moms.  There's a bonus short story included! Check out the PTA Mom Collection!!

PTA Moms: the Collection

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My Novel Freshman Experience, Part Five

In Which I Finally Get to Play With Clay!!

Today, we went over notes for our first test next week. Uh, my first graded test in...uh...well, a lot of years.  I feel pretty good.  I'd already read the material and knew a few things already. 

One of the sections in the reading was a short story on the evolution of pottery.  The first storage containers were baskets. Been there done that, wove the baskets...literally.  That means I am learning my crafts in order.  LOL  Here are a few of my baskets.  

 The one up above—with the coffee cup in the background (you're not surprised, are you?)—is one of the most useful ones I've made.  It's the perfect size for holding magazines.

Okay, so today, we started making pinch pots.  Our first assignment is to make one asymmetrical and one symmetrical cup.  The one on the right is obviously my asymmetrical one.  It looks rather like a heart, but that indent makes it easy to pick up.  Let's see how it fires.  The one on the far right is a plain cup that fulfilled the assignment.  But (oh, man is this a fun but!!) we're allowed to experiment and make what we want...so I did a second one. I'd picked up an acorn on my walk up to school.  Those indents in the center one are acorn caps imprints.  Again, no idea how these will dry and fire, but they weren't too bad.  Next class, I'm pinching a Kiln God...well, that was the assignment, but mine is going to be a Kiln Goddess.  I've already got an idea!

The studio is open and available a lot during the week.  I suspect I'll be up there as often as I can squeeze out the time! 

Oh, my glee is complete...yep, I've go Pottery Glee!

Holly

If you've missed any Novel Experience posts, you can find them here...
Part Four, Part Three, Part Two, Part One