I love the expression, "the monkey mind." It is a Buddhist term referring to our unsettled and restless minds, unable to focus on the present moment and just "be." Instead of being present, we are off in our heads, swinging from tree to tree, thought to thought, building an imaginary future, re-working the past, less and less aware of what is right in front of us, right now.  I was first introduced to Buddhist thought in high school, and I thought it was fascinating, this concept that there were people out there who were truly dedicated to living in the present moment, even just sitting and being there with themselves and meditating. I longed to be someone like that, but it seemed like work better suited to other people.  Not someone like me who spent most of the day in school, wishing to be somewhere else and escaping the present reality through daydreaming.

I finally started meditating in my mid-30's when I had a very troublesome order that came complete with the worst client I had ever dealt with. It was a huge order, and a lot of money was at stake. I was losing my mind, tying to get this glaze green enough to match the shower curtains of a very pricey hotel. The test tiles had come out perfectly, but now in this big batch, the glaze was turning a rather unattractive shade of what can only be described as baby-puke yellow. The client was losing their mind, calling me daily to download their stress onto me as the opening day of the hotel drew closer. I could not relax enough at night to sleep, and at one point the stress was so intense I actually felt like I had left my body, which is a very strange feeling. I felt like my world was ending.

It was an colleague of mine who was helping me deal with this order who suggested I meditate to help me with the stress. He told me to just sit down somewhere comfortable, close my eyes, and put my attention on my breathing.  Every time when I noticed  that I was thinking again, all I had to do was go back to paying attention to my breathing. Over and over for like 10 minutes a day is what he suggested.  Desperate for any kind of relief, I tried it. And it helped me so much with my short term anxiety that I have stuck with it ever since.

I like bringing other people to meditation because most people have the same resistance to it that I did: there is no way they can settle their minds long enough to meditate, they are too hyper, too busy, too easily distracted, blah blah blah. But none of that matters. We ALL have a monkey mind. The only question is, do you want to train that monkey to let go of the swinging vine so you can have some peace every once in a while?

While you think about that question I'm going to swing over to another topic, which is HOLIDAY OPEN STUDIO. Are you having one this year? If so, please be sure to read the submission form contained within this months newsletter and meet the deadline with your dates and info. I am very excited about the online map that I've been feverishly working with and I want to see you on it!

Letter From the President

August can be a challenging month for me, work-wise. It's still summer, so I have this internal feeling, molded by 12 years of attending public school, that I should be soaking up the last of summer by being as lazy as possible. Fortunately, this is not difficult for me. But then there is an opposing force, the inevitable onset of September, that makes me feel like I should stop goofing around and get serious about something. I find myself getting confused in the morning: should I go to the studio like a good potter or should I post up on my chaise lounge in the garden and watch the persimmons ripen?

August is a good time to start thinking about how the rest of the year is going to go and take the time to do some planning while we do have some leisure hours.  This can easily be done on the chaise lounge. The thing I want ACGA members to think about is what kind of plans they have for Open Studios this holiday season.  The ACGA is going to be promoting an Open Studio tour of all of its members to our email list this year, complete with an online map and links to your websites. So give some thought to your dates, think about hosting another ACGA member if you have room, and be ready to submit your information. Next month's newsletter will have more information and directions on how to submit and deadlines, so be ready!

Letter From the President

I'm home again after a 6 week residency in the South of France. I cannot think of a softer landing from 6 weeks in la belle France than the Bay Area, we live in such a beautiful country right here. However, certain adjustments have to be made, and I can't say I've been totally happy making them. Two weeks back home, and I am still bothered that I have to pay more than a couple of dollars for a bottle of wine, to say nothing of what I have to pay for un verre du vin. I miss my daily baguette slathered with butter. I long for the salty Mediterranean and its clear blue waters.  I walked past a display of cheese at my local Whole Foods, and winced at the way they were all packaged in clear plastic, killing off any smell, possible ooze, and sensual pleasure. Forget foie gras, it's just wrong, the way we treat cheese in this country. And more than anything, I miss my fellow residents and the people I met in France.  All of them.

This is the second residency I've done in my ceramic career, and I've decided that residencies are crucial for my creativity, and I'm going to start making them a priority and try to do one every two years or so.  I've learned the most profound lessons by totally checking out of my studio and making stuff in a completely foreign place.

This last residency in Vallauris I approached very casually and with zero expectations artistically. I only wanted to go to France, eat the food, drink the wine, go to the beach, then perhaps make some pottery. And that is pretty much what I did. But then, unexpectedly, I met Limoge porcelain, and I fell in love. And I realized that the clay body I've been working with for almost 20 years no longer fulfills my needs. Whoa. Big change. Then, I made a couple of things that I like a lot, different things, so now I have something to look forward to making in the studio. As soon as I can find a decent substitute for Limoge porcelain, that is.  Know of anything? Email me here!

Maybe it's time for you to do a residency. Have you ever done one? If so, post a comment here and let the rest of us know where you went, and if you are not too shy, a few words about what you learned. Also, two links that may help you find your residency:
http://www.transartists.org/
http://www.resartis.org/en/

And another successful show in Rinconada Park, I'm so proud of all of us for showing up with so much incredible work. It was great to see all of your shining faces at the Palo Alto Clay and Glass Festival, and to once again experience the appreciation of the people who go to the show and support the artists who are exhibiting. A big extra thank you to Mary Lou Atkins, our show producer who really is the one who makes it happen and her support staff at the Palo Alto Art Center; our show publicist Kathy Bentaieb who really got the word out in a big way this year, and our peeps at Pro Event who sheperd the day along and look after everyone.

Enjoy the rest of the summer, everyone!

Letter from the President

 I really do not like rushing around.  It is a deep offense to my intrinsically lazy nature, which likes to take lots of breaks, stare off into space, run a little bit late, and basically take it easy.  Since it's April,  I've been hammered with deadlines, which challenges me.  There was the tax thing, and designing the Clay and Glass Festival postcard and poster, then writing this very letter.  Somehow I managed to bunch it all up so I had to finish all of these things on the same day.  It reminded me of those times when I was in high school, and I was such a procrastinator that I would go on homework and project sprees that would keep me up all night.  Fortunately now, no one can fail me, or send me to detention. They can only look at me very disapprovingly while I run late.  I don't get panicked about it, I just very methodically do what I can, and somehow --eventually-- it all gets done.

I think the idea of just doing what you can is important, because that's all any of us can do, and there's no point in feeling bad about what you can't do, or won't do anyway.  It's very easy to look around and feel that our efforts are inadequate, and the message often blasted by the culture is that we are inadequate, in a multitude of ways. The only way to get through it without being driven insane by the push to strive is to repeatedly commit to only doing what you can.  Over and over again, you just do what you can, knowing that is your best effort, and resisting the other storyline that you should be doing just a little more.  Really, there isn't time to do a little more, there's only time to do what we can.

Letter From the President

As I write this, we are experiencing an abrupt shift from 58 degree days to 70+ degree days.  This is what living in the Bay Area is really all about, wild fluctuations in weather and temperature.  While today I'm wearing shorts for the first time in several months, I have no doubt that it's too early to be thinking about packing away the merino wool sweaters and scarves.  It's still early in the year.  And this makes me feel optimistic and hopeful that not only is the best weather still ahead of me, so is the best of what the rest of the year has to offer.

I have one main reason to feel optimistic, and that is an upcoming ceramic residency I'll be doing in France.  That would be the South of France.  In June.  Let's just say that the pottery-making part of this residency is quickly becoming a side note in my mind.  Plotting all the things I plan to eat, see, and eat while I'm in France has completely taken over my life right now.  I've never been to France and so I've immersed myself in books about the contemporary French way of life and re-learning all the years of high school French I took 25 years ago.  It's difficult not to admire the French way of life, with its emphasis on every day pleasures, and taking the time to enjoy these pleasures with focus and a sense of well-being.  As an American who indulges in many American habits, like being "busy" all the time, eating on the run, and multi-tasking, I look forward to having some of my routines changed as I participate in French life, and perhaps bring some French attitude back with me to the States

I hope others are feeling inspired as Spring emerges, breathing new life and giving us yet another opportunity to grow and change ourselves.

--Whitney

Letter From the President

A new year, a new day.  My resolution this year is easy, cause I had the same resolution last year: less thinking, more doing.  While less thinking may sound like a bad thing, especially when you're doing something like talking or driving, less thinking is actually doing your mind a favor.  My thinking is mostly about two things: what I should have done in the past, and what I want to do in the future.  Focusing on being in the moment and what I can do right now is my new year resolution.

This dovetails nicely with my goals for the ACGA. Just in case you didn't know, I was overwhelmingly voted in as your president for another 2-year term.  It's true no one ran against me, so a landslide was the forgone conclusion.  Victory is sweet, let me tell you.  With two more years to go, I want to do a better job helping guide the ACGA, and that means more of the "doing" thing.  My goal, in a nutshell, is to make ACGA membership something recognizably and tangibly beneficial to all its members, such as creating more access to resources like marketing support and networking with peers.  Also, I notice whenever ACGA members get together, they just love talking shop, hanging out, and brainstorming together.  I want to create more opportunities for member events that are free, fun, and provide occasions to get together and... do something!

At the recent annual retreat we made a list of ideas to help achieve this goal, and you can read my report below to get more details.  The next day I thought of a fun event the help our members with Facebook networking, called "Liking Me, Liking You"  which Erin McGuiness and I are going to host on  Thursday, March 1.  Again, please read details below to participate in person or virtually.

Finally, we have a new member to welcome the Board of Directors, Kathy Pallie.  I want to extend a warm welcome to Kathy, and encourage our members to check out her work right here.

I hope everyone has a healthy and happy 2012.

Whitney

Report from the Annual Retreat

This is a brief summary of the goals and ideas outlined during our retreat.

• Putting up videos of members on the ACGA website and Facebook page.  The videos could be demonstrations, studio tours, interviews, etc.  
• Set aside and area at the Clay and Glass Festival for showing the work of brand-new ACGA members.
• Working on outreach through schools and education. Being a mentor. Legitimizing art making as a real job.
• Hiring a professional for ACGA's social media and membership development.
• Promote member Open Studios during the holiday months with an email blast to customers.
• Develop the ACGA customer email list, especially during the Clay and Glass Festival and other exhibitions.
• Developing partnerships with clay and glass related businesses.
• Get together more often! 

Do any of these ideas get you excited?  Have an idea of your own that you think could enhance your experience with being a member of the ACGA?  Post your comments here.