April 23rd is coming quick and I am sitting with the idea of having my first pottery sale. I keep thinking “not now, not like this, I’m not ready,” but there are people that need support right now and through these sales I can donate towards projects supporting the people that are most affected during this crisis.
I imagined having my shit together for my first sale. I imagined launching the logo Sommer and I designed together. I imagined having the shipping container studio at least partially built and a simple website, and spreadsheets, stability, and planning. I imagined getting excited and doing a bunch of photography with my friends as models pretending that whatever they’re drinking out of the mug in their hand in the middle of a beautiful nature scene is making them oh so smiley. I imagined enjoying the process. I imagined hosting a studio opening party and filling shelves with mugs and bowls and tumblers and moon jars and vases and pipas and vessels and putting them outside in the sun. I imagined inviting people from local humanitarian orgs that inspire me; that I already support but plan to support more through the sale of pottery. I imagined inviting all the people I love from all over the world and expecting them to try and come because I believe the same amount of value we place on weddings and graduations can be placed on celebrating passion projects like this. I imagined music and dancing and delicious vegan food and giving a huge shout out to my parents and family and friends for all the endless support and most definitely to @danfeibig for believing in me and teaching me for the past three and a half years.
I did not imagine a pandemic.
Now I see all the wares that I’ve made over the last year waiting on my shelves for this imagined special sale on some unknown future day and I can only think that there are people out there that need support right now and there are people that would like to buy some pottery right now and once they buy that pottery I can donate.
So this flash sale isn’t going to be what I imagined. But we adapt. And it’s so worth it to me. In the end this is getting down to the quiddity (my grandmother’s favorite word meaning “the essence of”) of why I decided to start selling in the first place. To support my pottery habit for sure, and to support projects that are working to build a better world for everyone. And now is as good a time as ever to start doing that.
It might be a little messy since this is my first go, so I appreciate everyone’s patience in advance. Also, if you’re one of those people that has been regularly writing me inquiring about when I will finally begin selling, I appreciate you. You have kept me motivated to go through with this. If you are not able to buy something Thursday or I don’t put up the item you’ve been interested in, don’t worry, I will be doing a couple of these little flash sales over the next weeks and will obviously continue to make more especially now that I’ve got a temporary studio set up in the parent’s yard (win!!). DM me.
So I’m going to take this soft opening moment to shout out to all you special humans that are near and far (at least six feet far) and tell you that although pottery has always been a practice for me personally, your interest in it, humor about it, use of it, and constant praise has been soo warmly received. I love getting all those photos of y’all using the pieces: drinking tea and coffee and whiskey(?) out of mugs (and sometimes moon jars...that’s a lot of “coffee” my friends..), some delish looking guacamole in chocolate clay body bowls, lots of stunning flower arrangements in stilltooheavy vases, even the photos of shattered pots that cats put their faces into. Please keep them coming, I think y’all have much better style than I do when it comes to fitting these objects into every day life.
So that sale I’ve been imagining will happen one day once we are in the clear COVID-19 wise and are in the process of building up a more resilient and just and equal and healthy and empathetic society that revolves less around work and consumption and more around taking care of one another and our planet. And when it does, I hope you can come visit me in Corrales, NM and we can hug.
Anyway, I have really enjoyed all the messages I’ve been receiving from old friends and new friends and people I don’t know who are excited about this sale. I am excited too and honestly nervous. I hope you like my work.
See you all @ 6PM MST on Thursday April 23, 2020.
50% of profits will be donated to the Albuquerque Mutual Aid Fund and the Santa Fe Dreamers Project.
With love,
-S
PS- if you have a non-profit in mind whose work is inspiring you please send me their info for the next sale. ta!
