Coffee Table Declarations
Monday, October 25, 2004
I have spent the past two Saturday afternoons on an addictive new hobby. I have been painting ceramics. My mom has been doing it for a while and she invited me to go with her. The place was packed with kids painting ceramic dogs and mugs that said "Go Red Sox". The shelves were full of plain white things - mugs, plates, vases, etc. I selected a square shaped bowl and stenciled bunches of grapes on it. There were so many techniques I wanted to try so I ended up sponging the inside several colors. It takes a week for the painted pottery to be fired and glazed - that's ceramics terminology for "made pretty". I think they have you pick your stuff up the following week so you'll come paint some more.
This past Saturday I painted a mug. Once again eager to try a multitude of things, I stenciled a butterfly, freehand painted some flowers, and used a fan brush for a tye-dye effect. I ended up feeling disappointed because there were too many things going on with my mug. My mom paints beautiful, simple pieces that look like they might have been purchased from a high end home goods store. She told me that I lacked patience to wait until next time to try different things and that I needed to focus and try one thing at a time. She always ends up being right, much to my frustration.
I think I do a lot of things the same way. I also have grand aspirations and when things start to go wrong I feel like giving the whole thing up. I also lose interest if something isn't what I hoped for and then rush through the rest of it half-assedly. I do this when I cook, I do this when I try to write, I do this in so many ways. Maybe this hobby will be good for me to practice patience and acceptance.
The one thing that is really good about painting ceramics is that it's very relaxing. For the hours that I am sitting and focusing on painting and creating, my thoughts are completely in the present moment and for that brief period of time I'm not focusing on my sad financial state or my health or my lack of direction in life. I think I understand why they do so many arts and crafts at mental hospitals.
This past Saturday I painted a mug. Once again eager to try a multitude of things, I stenciled a butterfly, freehand painted some flowers, and used a fan brush for a tye-dye effect. I ended up feeling disappointed because there were too many things going on with my mug. My mom paints beautiful, simple pieces that look like they might have been purchased from a high end home goods store. She told me that I lacked patience to wait until next time to try different things and that I needed to focus and try one thing at a time. She always ends up being right, much to my frustration.
I think I do a lot of things the same way. I also have grand aspirations and when things start to go wrong I feel like giving the whole thing up. I also lose interest if something isn't what I hoped for and then rush through the rest of it half-assedly. I do this when I cook, I do this when I try to write, I do this in so many ways. Maybe this hobby will be good for me to practice patience and acceptance.
The one thing that is really good about painting ceramics is that it's very relaxing. For the hours that I am sitting and focusing on painting and creating, my thoughts are completely in the present moment and for that brief period of time I'm not focusing on my sad financial state or my health or my lack of direction in life. I think I understand why they do so many arts and crafts at mental hospitals.
