On blogs and pots

Oh my, there are so many great blogs for potters, and lovers of pottery.

I follow quite a few, and just noticed yesterday that there's a new list of the top 50 pottery blogs, published by some organization that bothered to do it.  I'm not on it.  It's funny to see Jen Mecca listed, who hasn't updated her blog for 3 months or so...she is however posting on FaceBook, so I made a "congrats comment" to her for being listed, and she answered that she maybe better post something.  Tee hee.
http://www.guidetoartschools.com/library/best-ceramics-blogs

Now I understand why Mom's bloggers are competitive.  There are actually people trying to be the most popular blog writer, who are also moms.  I kind of wonder how their children feel about this.  http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/mom_blogs?trk=main_menu_footer

But I would like more than 2 followers.  That just seems like nobody is reading this.  So if you are interested in listing me on your blog following, or somehow can become a follower without having a blog...go for it!  I honestly don't know if you can follow a blog without being a blogger.  It's a strange new world to an old lady here.  Remember yesterday I was talking about new changes...well, blogging is certainly something I've tried and enjoyed.  How about you?

I'm so happy to find out more information about the clay studio in Missoula, where my son, Tai, will be a resident next year.  He's moving a long way to do this, and it looks like it's got some other talented potters.  Here's that link to see what they are all about.  
http://www.theclaystudioofmissoula.org/pages/workshops.1.html

And in case you are an artist and haven't looked at this blog site, I highly recommend it, since I see things as reminders here that come from other successful businesses.   For instance she spoke of reading emails and answering them immediately as a way of clearing out mail boxes that get cluttered.  I remember working in offices, and you just didn't sit down with your correspondence unless you were ready to answer everything you could at once...or else you had a "pending" box that got more and more full.  Of course I now use my email mailbox as a kind of filing system which even has a search engine, so I can see what people said a while back, when I want to.  But for art, getting a push in the heinie every once in a while for business aspects, check it out here...
http://www.artbizblog.com/

I'm surely getting over the blues of the Tail Gate non-sales.  After all, there was the TRAC tour In Yancey and Mitchell Counties, as well as Asheville's River Arts District tour the same day.  Plenty of great potters out there trying to market their wares.  And it was definitely a glorious day...waited till I was done napping to have the first thunderstorm hit Black Mountain.

I remember sitting with my head thrown back, looking up through the leaves and feeling so grateful to be having that experience, this morning.  Some ladies came in our booth right then, and as I looked at them, I appologized for having a "meditation moment" away from the business of selling pots.  They laughed and said it really felt great to be  in the shade.  I agreed.  But later I again looked up through those leaves, and realized the trees which live on and on, year after year (a maple and an oak) had leaves which were at most bright and alive for only 6 months of the year.  They know what they are doing though.

I'm re-reading Starhawk's "The Fifth Sacred Thing" since it is about to be made into a movie, according to the buzz on FaceBook.  What a lovely story, full of hope for the future, though written back in the early 90's.  I hope the movie comes out before the plot takes place, in 2048 I think.  Great characters that live and love as an extension of the ideals of the 60's.  And great concepts of dealing with environmental disasters.  Starhawk has certainly given a lot to these energies.