Things are shifting. Now where's the focus?

Over the past few years my work has been shifting, for lack of a better term. Or maybe it’s my outlook that shifted first, and my work followed. Either way, I’m doing things and making things differently now. I feel more free and more spontaneous in my work, which has translated to far more experimentation, which has led to even far more satisfaction. There’s plenty of risk taking going on at my bench.

A lot of people want to talk about their age. How time moves so fast and how they’re getting old. I suppose I’m not much different from them, my 60th birthday  was about eighteen months ago, and it was a disaster. Among other things, I was panicked about having so much more I want to learn, and pieces I want to make, and time just seemed to be running out. I think I just came to the realization since then, it’s time to start making the pieces I’ve always found excuses not to make. There was college tuition to save for, or retirement (whatever that means) to save for, or any number of maintenance issues with our old house. Plenty of excuses to go around. Who could afford to play at work when there were bills to be paid? I felt that way for years. It gradually came to me, waiting for the right time was futile, because there’s no such thing as the right time. “Someday, never comes!”

I’ve begun making the pieces I’ve wanted to make. Just like that. I jumped. And nothing bad happened. In fact, a lot of very cool things have happened. I’ve only scratched the surface, but I’m enjoying my work more than ever. Although I have to fight with the thought I should be making certain pieces, instead of I want to make certain pieces.

As a result, I’ve started an open-ended project called “It’s About Time” (this is the working title for now). The pieces I’ll make won’t fit into a singular category, other than I just want to make them. From wood I saved for years for just the right project, or simply pieces I’ve been too timid to try. The list goes on.

There is also the reality of selling those pieces. I’m not shy about saying, selling is positively my least favorite part of doing this work. I feel (like most artists, I assume) like I’m being pushy and/or too aggressive every time I send an email or post on social media or call a prospective client about a new piece. I don’t know what the solution to that will be. I’m sure hoping it will become more clear, and soon. But for now, it’s full steam ahead on making new pieces. And fingers crossed those pieces will find their way into the world and into new homes.