Are you committed to clay?

I once thought that there couldn't be anyone more committed and obsessed with clay than Robin. But now, after many years of mingling and hanging out with ceramic folk, I realize that they all a little obsessed and fanatically devoted to the material. 

I am not a 'maker', instead I consider myself an 'appreciator', and in my mind - equally as committed to the cause of educating and promoting the use and integration of handcrafted objects into everyday life.  Luckily I have avoided some of the craziness that comes with being 'clay obsessed', instead having observed many variations of the obsession, I've come up with a Clay obsession scale (with the help of some seriously obsessed individuals). In most cases these are their words (and actions), not mine........

If you consider yourself committed clay, where do you fall? 

Clay obsession scale

Scale of 1 to 10

1 = you don't own your own wheel, but love to get your hands dirty and play with fire. 

2 = your preferred handle is sideways and your teapots don't pour. But heck they sure are pretty. 

3 = you are a pottery workshop fanatic and all your friends and family receive pottery for their birthdays and at Christmas. 

4= you carry a sketch book and often can be seen doodling pots and/or kiln designs. 

5 = you dream of traveling to Japan at some point to sweep the floors of a master potter for three years before you are even allowed to touch clay. 

6 = you are always trying to trade or steal back old pottery of yours that was once gifted to friends and family. 

7 = all your clothes are permanently marked with clay and/or glaze. 

8 = you mail order pottery videos and surf the net for pottery blogs and ceramic websites.

9 = you can fire an anagama single handed.

10 = each day you wake up early and pick your favorite mug off the mug shelf, fill it with coffee and head straight to the studio to finish handles before your pots are too dry, make yourself another pot of coffee, check kiln that was candling, turn it up, check mugs that are still too wet, decide to make plates, lose track of time because you have moved onto bowls, check mugs that are too dry, spritz mugs, cover with plastic, go and chop wood, lose track of time, check mugs, mugs are just right but you don't have time to finish them because you are teaching a throwing class, teach class, forgot about potluck, run home and whip up some potluck dish, go back to studio to check the kiln, forget to check the mugs, show up late for potluck still dirty, have dinner, talk pots, excuse yourself to go back to studio to fire off kiln, trim plates and finish mugs, kiln still not done, go back to potluck where everyone is passed out or still drinking, realize you missed dessert so you go back to studio to check kiln, kiln is overfired and mugs are cracking, reclaim mugs, head home, dream about pots, start again. 

Truth is, I'm surrounded by 10's!