PART 1

When I started working at the University, I kept a weekly planner.  Everything including work and personal data was located in that journal.  Then I discovered Bullet Journaling.  I instantly fell in love with the format of a Bullet Journal.  No pre-printed anything to fill out, I was at the mercy of an empty page.  A lot of empty pages.  I dove right in and used colour pencils, stickers, and washi tape to decorate my pages.  I could draw anywhere I wanted and design it the way I wanted it.  What could be better.  Well, it took a lot of my time but my evenings were free and I enjoyed the creativity.

The pottery journal is much the same process.  Some of the data I don't include in it is the use of a calendar.  I have a digital calendar that I use more effectively.  I don't need an index page, and I don't number the pages.  I do include a goals page, a checklist of what I want to keep track of,  a monthly post-mortem, pottery events for the month page, a 2-day list of pots to make on a monthly basis and drawings with information on design, glazing, time to make, and firing info.  I purchased a sketchbook for $4.50 at Michaels.  I only use a pencil because I erase a lot. Pens are messy.  An erasable pen would work.

Over the next few posts, I'll go over it all to help get a clear understanding of the process I use to get me through the day!  

The first thing I wanted to do was look at my goals for the the year, the month, the week, the day.  This step alone, although difficult to do, helps clarify the path I'm on and makes my daily content pre-planned and easy to follow. My best advice is to take the time it takes to complete this step. It's an important step.  Get yourself a cup of coffee or tea in your favorite mug, hopefully once made by a potter, and get started.   

Here's how it's divided.  I've entered some example information to show you how it works. Let me know if you have questions about it. For this post, I'll just add the Personal example info. It doesn't matter if yours is different.  Just start somewhere. Don't forget to add your daily goals to your calendar or task list. Next blog, I'll move on to the Financial goal.  

                Goals
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When you write things down, you clear the cobwebs from your head. Writing things down was one of my goals this year.....it's April and I'm finally getting started.  I think I'm ready now to divulge all my icky secrets!  Not!  
How many of you write regularly?  I used to write every day.  I have a multitude of Bullet journals that I keep hidden away in a drawer.  I'll have to clean that up one day.  

This journal will be about pottery and the journey that started over 40 years ago. So, no mushy stuff.

This post will focus on where I started and how I got here.  
Back in the 80s, I applied and was accepted to the "École des Beaux-Arts" in Montreal, Québec.  With a concentration on ceramics and drawing & painting with a later focus on photography, I felt confident to face the world of art.  For the next 23 years, I potted relentlessly, dragging my studio with me everywhere we moved.  From Northern Ontario, to Southern Ontario, to British Columbia, pottery was a constant part of my life.  I did wheel work exclusively and through a marriage and 2 kids, the world around me was pretty wonderful.  

Then, we were faced with another move.  We came back to settle in Sudbury, ON where we continue to live.  At the time, it was decided to sell off the pottery studio and see where things took us here.  I entered the retail market and took a position at the local University bookstore as the manager.  For nearly 20 years, my life revolved around home, kids, and students.  When retirement arrived, I was ready.  No, I was not!

For the next few months, I had a hard time figuring out what to do with myself.  Luckily, the town's pottery guild was strong and I decided to focus on hand-building instead of the wheel.  It's been 2 years now, and although my work has changed considerably, I consider my body of work improving constantly.  
So, all this to say that I'm back and I love it.  And I want to share it with anyone who might be interested in the journey.  
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My next post will be about the journaling.  I'll give you a sneak peek at how I'm keeping the journal.  
Till next time!