Blind Melon No Rain.
If anything describes my life, it is this video… an overweight little girl with enthusiasm and self-confidence approaches the world dressed as a bumblebee. She wants to dance, to celebrate, to connect… instead she is met with disapproval and scorn. Misunderstood? Maybe just different… doesn’t really matter; somehow she doesn’t quite fit in. Sound familiar? I have never met a potter that didn’t relate to this video… check it out.
In the video, the little girl eventually finds more bumblebees and blossoms. My first NCECA was like discovering the other bees! I was beside myself with excitement about finding like-minded people. Finally fitting in! Finally having MEANINGFUL conversations! Only problem is that NCECA is only once a year. No matter how much bonding takes place, how much energy is generated, it dissipates in the time between conferences. How does one hold on to that? How can one feel connected and still follow his or her calling?
When Steven told me about his idea for the Journey class I was really excited, although in a slightly different way than he was. My excitement was about the idea of taking a kind of Spiritual Journey while being connected to a small community. Never one for structured religion, I always believed spiritualism had to be a lonely place (until Robert Piepenberg—my hero—held my hand and showed me otherwise… but that is another story altogether).
In the last year, Center Street Clay has been inundated with emails from people who were interested in the 8-Month Journey class at MISSA but had schedule conflicts or something else holding them back. For the last year I have been saying aloud and to myself that this is what we have to do, this is what is important… to offer these classes. To encourage each person to find his/her own voice and to help forge bonds that last longer than a few days. To encourage potters to connect and look for and lend support to each other. The world has become a small place with computers and webcams. We can have daily interaction with our fellow potters no matter where they live. Nothing beats a face-to-face interaction, but once a relationship is established it can be maintained with the phone, email or a webcam. Especially when supplemented by an in person visit once a month or even once a year.
It is in this spirit that we are listing these workshops and I am so excited about the potential they offer!
Kim Miner