Through The Fires: The Pottery Dailies
Piles And Piles
Small things can sneak up on you and, in time, pile when you set them aside. It can start with easy things like a pen on a desk, a paintbrush on an easel, or a pin tool on a throwing wheel’s worktable. This can also happen with ideas in your mind. The small things create piles quickly. Resistance makes sure of it. Suddenly, five pens are on your writing desk, ten brushes that need cleaning, and a handful of trim tools on the pottery wheel worktable.
All of these piles take up space. Space that could be used for more important things. The piles also take up space in your mind. Resistance will multiply the piles, so you can’t move. Resistance will use the piles to keep you from creating and the muse from visiting. I am terrible at having piles. I may need to work on that today or risk not being able to create.
The piles around us can also clutter our minds. Writing is my way of dealing with the clutter in my mind. It helps me to work backward, untangling the confusion so I can begin to tackle the piles of little things surrounding me. Today, I need to organize some of the piles that have been crowding my studio and preventing me from feeling productive. These piles have caused me to miss a few deadlines and small shows that would have helped me fund larger projects that bring about the change I am working towards.
It's important to have a few different piles in your life. A pile of completed work is a positive thing to have because it shows that you have been productive and it gives you options. It's also important to have a pile of work that didn't turn out quite right - this shows that you are trying new things and taking risks. If you keep your raw materials organized, it can inspire you to be creative. You should also cultivate piles of people who care about you, things that you do that matter, and emotions like generosity, empathy, and gratitude. These piles should be stacked high and valued.
I plan to sort out piles today because time is too short. I need to show up and not keep the muse waiting. She only waits so long before resistance takes over her spot. I must show up and create for those ten people who would miss me if I were gone behind the piles. What kind of piles are you stuck or hiding behind? Who is missing you because of it?
