Thursday, March 6
Mar. 6th, 2025 11:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gottawonderToday I am grateful for:
Choosing to be more positive, when I felt that I was getting too negative about pottery issues.
The committee I am part of (to work on communication improvement in the pottery studio) met today in person at the studio.
I ended up being a bit late, which was not normal for me, as I really do care about this topic, and I'm normally very respectful of people's time.
The meeting went well enough, even though again, progress felt very small, but I am trying to see that slow progress is still great, and might be better thought through and structured more solidly when we don't miss important details.
You can rush and build a pretty house of cards, or you can go slower and build a shelter that can last....a very long time?
I'm getting ahead of myself. I got up REALLY EARLY for me, and still managed to run behind because I got all wound up in yet another dumb email from the pottery studio from the executive. The email detailed how they didn't decide to cap the number of people using the studio because they want input from the group.
The way they asked for input though, was manipulative. The email worded it something like this..."Please let us know how we can limit the number of new potters while still meeting our financial responsibilities".
They made it sound like we were broke, but I KNOW we're not. They made lots of money from the new potters, yes. The studio also made a ton of money from the last craft sale, AND we got a grant to help purchase the new kiln.
A lot of people in the studio won't have been paying attention to that, though, and will fall for the manipulation in that email.
My response (the reason why I was late was I was so angry I had to write a response right away) was basically:
Since when are we short of money?
If have many potters, they are not "cash cows" for us to fleece, they are people who deserve a good experience at our studio. One that they are not getting right now, with their super crowded beginner class and very little actual instruction that would help them become competent potters. Our studio has always been a community built by long term potters that are invested in the well-being of the craft center, not people who come for one or two classes and leave because they are not getting the experience they deserve, even though they paid for the semester.
If we need money to buy "new equipment", do we NEED new equipment, or do we just "WANT" new equipment? We could be creating a longer term plan that allows for purchases, without the means coming solely from an outrageous number of new people.
You didn't even say how much money we need per month/year to function as a center, and whether or not we are currently meeting that amount.
I did contact the former president to ask HER if we're broke, and she confirmed that the studio is doing just fine financially. The executive really IS just hoping to buy a whole bunch of expensive equipment.
The meeting went well, as I mentioned. When we did our "tell me about yourself" part, I was blown away that the four other people on the committee are all VERY WELL QUALIFIED to help build communications platforms, and have all served on boards and other committees elsewhere, and if the executive just gives them some space to do their thing, I have every confidence that this group could make a tremendous positive change in how our pottery studio functions, and help us break the cycle of having one old lady tyrant after another take charge.
I went to D's house after the meeting (she is on the committee) and we went for a nice walk with her dog. It's nice to walk and talk at the same time, one of my favorite things to do when getting together with someone.
We did talk some more about the pottery situation, and one thing she made me feel better about, is that even if this doesn't work out, we tried, and we are actually DOING something, and not just being passive. If we are blocked by the executive or something, then it's their problem, not a lack of engagement from the people who use the studio.
It was very nice to visit with D. Neither one of us was otherwise busy today, so I ended up at D's house for a few hours, and we talked about lots of other things too. D is interested in astronomy, and has a very nice telescope that she got this year, and she showed me some great images she was able to take with it.
We discussed some places I know out in the country that might give her good viewing opportunities, and maybe I'll join her one night.
Then I came home.
My Sweetie was at the dentist right after work, getting cavities filled. The dentist slipped with the tool and cut the inside of his mouth way at the back. It required two stitches! That freaked me out, as I have a tough time with dentists in the first place.
My husband says he didn't feel it because his mouth was numbed, but for the next week or so he has to hold these disinfectant pills in his mouth without swallowing anything, let the pill dissolve, and then NOT RINSE his mouth or eat anything for half an hour afterwards, twice a day. He says it tastes horrible.
My poor Sweetie has had a bit of a rough stretch with scrapes, broke his tooth (thus the dental visits), and being a bit flu-y.
He went to bed really early again.
Choosing to be more positive, when I felt that I was getting too negative about pottery issues.
The committee I am part of (to work on communication improvement in the pottery studio) met today in person at the studio.
I ended up being a bit late, which was not normal for me, as I really do care about this topic, and I'm normally very respectful of people's time.
The meeting went well enough, even though again, progress felt very small, but I am trying to see that slow progress is still great, and might be better thought through and structured more solidly when we don't miss important details.
You can rush and build a pretty house of cards, or you can go slower and build a shelter that can last....a very long time?
I'm getting ahead of myself. I got up REALLY EARLY for me, and still managed to run behind because I got all wound up in yet another dumb email from the pottery studio from the executive. The email detailed how they didn't decide to cap the number of people using the studio because they want input from the group.
The way they asked for input though, was manipulative. The email worded it something like this..."Please let us know how we can limit the number of new potters while still meeting our financial responsibilities".
They made it sound like we were broke, but I KNOW we're not. They made lots of money from the new potters, yes. The studio also made a ton of money from the last craft sale, AND we got a grant to help purchase the new kiln.
A lot of people in the studio won't have been paying attention to that, though, and will fall for the manipulation in that email.
My response (the reason why I was late was I was so angry I had to write a response right away) was basically:
Since when are we short of money?
If have many potters, they are not "cash cows" for us to fleece, they are people who deserve a good experience at our studio. One that they are not getting right now, with their super crowded beginner class and very little actual instruction that would help them become competent potters. Our studio has always been a community built by long term potters that are invested in the well-being of the craft center, not people who come for one or two classes and leave because they are not getting the experience they deserve, even though they paid for the semester.
If we need money to buy "new equipment", do we NEED new equipment, or do we just "WANT" new equipment? We could be creating a longer term plan that allows for purchases, without the means coming solely from an outrageous number of new people.
You didn't even say how much money we need per month/year to function as a center, and whether or not we are currently meeting that amount.
I did contact the former president to ask HER if we're broke, and she confirmed that the studio is doing just fine financially. The executive really IS just hoping to buy a whole bunch of expensive equipment.
The meeting went well, as I mentioned. When we did our "tell me about yourself" part, I was blown away that the four other people on the committee are all VERY WELL QUALIFIED to help build communications platforms, and have all served on boards and other committees elsewhere, and if the executive just gives them some space to do their thing, I have every confidence that this group could make a tremendous positive change in how our pottery studio functions, and help us break the cycle of having one old lady tyrant after another take charge.
I went to D's house after the meeting (she is on the committee) and we went for a nice walk with her dog. It's nice to walk and talk at the same time, one of my favorite things to do when getting together with someone.
We did talk some more about the pottery situation, and one thing she made me feel better about, is that even if this doesn't work out, we tried, and we are actually DOING something, and not just being passive. If we are blocked by the executive or something, then it's their problem, not a lack of engagement from the people who use the studio.
It was very nice to visit with D. Neither one of us was otherwise busy today, so I ended up at D's house for a few hours, and we talked about lots of other things too. D is interested in astronomy, and has a very nice telescope that she got this year, and she showed me some great images she was able to take with it.
We discussed some places I know out in the country that might give her good viewing opportunities, and maybe I'll join her one night.
Then I came home.
My Sweetie was at the dentist right after work, getting cavities filled. The dentist slipped with the tool and cut the inside of his mouth way at the back. It required two stitches! That freaked me out, as I have a tough time with dentists in the first place.
My husband says he didn't feel it because his mouth was numbed, but for the next week or so he has to hold these disinfectant pills in his mouth without swallowing anything, let the pill dissolve, and then NOT RINSE his mouth or eat anything for half an hour afterwards, twice a day. He says it tastes horrible.
My poor Sweetie has had a bit of a rough stretch with scrapes, broke his tooth (thus the dental visits), and being a bit flu-y.
He went to bed really early again.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-08 10:17 pm (UTC)I've made peace with mine and figure that even if I don't like his schtik, he's going to be my buddy forever.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-09 07:11 am (UTC)Yet, I have followed through on things like wisdom tooth removal and so on when I had to do it.
What I don't get, is people who would rather walk around in great pain in their mouths rather than get it fixed.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-09 07:16 am (UTC)No more of that! I'm pretty diligent myself, and pushy with the sous chef as well.