So why do I feel a sense of loss ? Well, I genuinely liked this piece, feeling I achieved what I set out to create, and then some. We don't necessarily have success from an idea to its reality .
People say, " Well, you can just make it again." Not always. Ceramics is a tricky business. You follow all the rules and the piece cracks, or the glaze isn't clear. As I tell my clients, there Is always the element of magic involved.
Perhaps my lesson is that I must remember there is an art to letting go of one's special creations. To know that it makes someone smile when they look at it, this has got to be the real payment. How do you other artists feel about this subject?
Boy, do I know this one, Victoria! Letting go of what we've created is difficult for a lot of us. As an artist and therapist, I've had to deal with the process personally as well as professionally. We humans like to hold on to the things we've produced - they're a part of us! It starts early in our lives, too. Think of the typical toddler who proudly climbs off his potty chair and protests when his accomplishments are flushed. Not that I'm making any scatological comparisons to your beautiful platter! I only want to point out that it's ingrained to resist surrendering what we have created. Especially when we've put our talent, soul and spirit into it and it's turned out splendidly. The only way I can deal with the sense of loss is to know that I'm sharing something of myself with others that will bring them real value of some kind. For me, that's the magic!
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