Lisa Vogt Art Adventure Blog: 3 Things I Hate

Hate is a harsh word I rarely use. I can find some positive facet in almost every situation. My glass is always half full. But there are three things that truly annoy me.

I hate those clingy scraps of paper that clog the coils of spiral bound notebooks when you rip a sheet of paper out.
I hate sneezing before my mascara is dry.
And lastly, I really hate the learning curve.

I’m waist deep in a publishing project that’s outside my area of expertise and it seems that each and every step forward has to be hard earned. What should have taken days, is taking weeks. I guess that’s the price you pay for inexperience. You don’t actually know what you’re getting into until you’re adrift in the middle of the lake. Then you realize the shore you launched from is just as far away as the shore you’d hoped to land on. In that raw moment of awareness the big decision is made, carry on or give up.

Just last week I was in that dreaded place of frustration and indecision. Joe and I sat, side by side in front of the computer, two smart creatives, brainstorming, trying to figure out how to accomplish our goal. That’s when I remembered we’d been there before, many times actually.

One of the most memorable occasions was in 2002. It was an exciting time for art. Digital technology was blooming and I thought it would be a good idea to produce my sixth pattern book on the computer. Little did I know how involved such an undertaking would be. It meant understanding how a digital camera operated, learning how to use design software, drawing with a mouse instead of a pencil and finally merging all my content into a single publishing program. Joe and I sat side by side then as we did last week. It was a struggle, a real test of our commitment to our work. But we endeavored to persevere. In the end, our hard-work was rewarded when we turned out, Get Fired Up! and it quickly became one of my most popular titles. With the knowledge and experience gained, seven successful book titles followed.

I’m sharing this story because I can relate to your hesitation to try new things for fear you’ll be disappointed with the outcome. The fear can be paralyzing. I see it all the time, students keep brand new kilns, unboxed collecting dust in their studios for years. Let me reassure you, your projects don’t have to be perfect. Everything you’re going to make in your kiln will have value, some for their beauty and others for their educational worth. No matter the end result, it’s the thrill of creating something new that you’ll treasure.

Let’s get started. We’ll do it together. Starting now I’m going to share glass fusing tips and techniques more frequently. It’s my way of helping you shave time off the learning curve so you can focus on the art of making great art.

As for me and my learning curve challenge, I’m no quitter. The distant shore is in my sights. The water may still be murky but my oars are fixed. One stroke at a time, I’ll paddle the curve out of that stubborn arc…

See you on the other side.

Lisa

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April 8-12, 2015

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