Like many ceramic bead makers, I started out with clay as a potter. I'd looked at the pottery in the display cases at my high school, envious and curious. I talked with the instructor about the likelihood of my being able to be successful in her pottery class. I worried that a low grade, should I get one, would wreck my GPA. In the end, I did nothing.
Fast forward about 15 years, and I still wanted to give it a try. So I enrolled in a low-cost course through the city Arts and Recreation Department. And I did OK. Sometime later, I 'graduated' to a more expensive course at the Wichita Art Association, now called the Wichita Center for the Arts, and soon I was spending nearly every spare minute in the studio.
One evening, our instructor told us Chris Staley was giving a talk in another part of the building, and we could attend if we wanted to. We all jumped up and headed toward the room where Staley would be speaking.
At that time, Chris Staley might have been included in a magazine article titled "Young Artists to Watch." Locally, the art world was definitely watching. He made some really good stuff, and it was clear he wouldn't be teaching at Wichita State University very much longer. He showed slides of his work, then addressed questions from the audience. And then it happened -- that life-changing moment. I don't remember what the question was, but I do remember the answer.
And that, my friends, is all you need to know about making art. Or doing life. Or doing anything else.
In other words...
If you don't risk being bad at something, you'll never become good at it.
You'd be surprised how many times I've heard those words ringing in my ears when I've thought about undertaking a new venture.
So did I take risks? Yes, I did.
Did I make lousy pots? Yes, I did.
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| 1. Ugly. 2. Awkward to drink from. 3. Embarrassingly ugly. |
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| What was I thinking???? Oh, yes, I remember: These little scrapings from the wheel are SO artistic. |
Did I make any good ones? A few. Anyway, I think so.
That was the late 1980's. Chris Staley is still making pots. He's doing a lot of other things, too, like TED talks. He has become well-known and well-respected in the art world and beyond. He spoke again, in the same room, about a year or two ago, and of course I went to see what's happened in 35 or so years.. He's gone from an energetic young buck on the verge of conquering the world, to an extremely thoughtful, introspective, highly accomplished artist. This time, he didn't say anything that knocked me off my feet. But his work did.
Here's a link to his website:
http://www.chrisstaleyartist.com/
And a link to a You Tube video that's not to be missed!
Liking Mistakes
And a link to his work:
Portfolio
