Hi everyone, I have not been active on this platform at all sorry, I am finding social media so overwhelming. In fact I am finding life a little overwhelming at the moment. I haven't been able to talk myself into my studio for the last three days, and I have to get back i to it. I have medieval events coming up that I really have to get things done for. I love pottery and feel extremely privileged that it is my full-time, but lately I walk in to my studio look around and just don't know where to go next and end up walking out again. I also have several videos waiting to be edited to go up on my Shoebox Studio Ceramics YT channel, but I can't seem to talk myself into completing them either. It's so frustrating, having so much to do, but feeling unable to do any of it. Do you fellow potters ever get like this, especially those that are full-time potters? How do you get yourselves out of the darkness and back into the joy of pottery? I didn't know you have to select a category for your post, couldn't decide what this should of gone under, Fails, General, Question? I went with Question, I hope that is ok? Much love to you all x

I think this is something we struggle with over and over again: accepting gifts. And it is kind of crazy, because we know how full our hearts feel when we give something to someone and make them happy 💛 And yet, on the other side, we find it so hard to receive. I believe it has a lot to do with self worth. I have reflected on this many times before. And the topic came up again recently. I even found myself tearing up while watching that video of @Natalie Duff receiving those textured rollers from @Lori Turner. That was so kind and heartwarming🥹 And it made me realize that maybe we should stop resisting the love that others are trying to give us. They simply want to show us how much they appreciate us, how much we mean to them, and to bring us joy ✨ And if we block that or push it away, we might even take away their joy of giving. Maybe it is time we allow that in 🤍 I wish you all a beautiful day. May we accept every smile, every gift, and every kind word that comes our way today 🌸 And we do not always have to balance it out with a gift or a return. We do not have to earn it. We can simply receive it for what it is 🌿 Let us learn to do that. Let us work on it, together 💫

And I realized that I would love to learn how you stamp your maker's mark on the bottom of your pots! Is it a stamp with underglaze? I am sorry if I missed a video where you are talking about it, but I just love it and want to know all about it!

April is here (almost), and with it comes that little shift that gets us outside again, into the light, into the fresh air, and a bit closer to everything around us. Nature is waking up, and so is our creativity! 🌸✨ This month, we are taking our inspiration straight from nature. And yes, that includes pretty much everything you can think of. Flowers, plants, and organic shapes 🌼 Animals and all kinds of creatures 🐾 Landscapes, textures, and the little details you suddenly start noticing 🌊 Your task is to create something that reflects what you see or feel when you step outside. Or even what you think you see when you stare at a cloud for a little too long 👀 It can be anything you like. A sculpture. A functional piece. Something painted, carved, printed, or fully experimental. 🎨 There are no limits here, only your interpretation. 🌱 One important rule Your piece should be created in April. Not something you pull out of your shelf thinking, “well, this kind of fits.” Nice try! 😄 Just like spring creates something new, this is your moment to do the same. You can also challenge yourself a little. Try something you have not done before. Go for that idea that once felt a bit too tricky. See what happens if you just give it a go. And of course, you are very welcome to share your ideas, your process, your progress, or even those moments where things are not quite working yet. That is all part of it, and honestly where the good stuff happens. Let’s inspire each other, learn from each other, and maybe surprise ourselves along the way! 💛 By the end of the month, we will hopefully have a whole collection of pieces that show just how much creativity this season can spark. Now go out, look around, and then get your hands dirty! 🌿✨

Wow everyone going to Nceca should watch this vid it’s amazing!! Thankyou so much @Ona Papageorgiou you have answered so many questions for me xx https://youtu.be/yO7yewNLeiE?si=-KqVPQPSgJDob0fI