back from the moon...

and I hit the ground running yesterday morning at 5(!):30 am. Never fails, I'm such a workaholic, that when I do get away for a bit, I get so anxious about all the things that are going unattended I run full speed back into the studio at the earliest possible moment. Yesterday really tested me, several monkey wrenches came flying at me in the areas of home and work, not to mention 100 degree heat and humidity....
But oh, how nice it was to be off the grid for a bit! I didn't realize just how obsessive I have been about work this year, but it seems to be paying off too. I can see some solid legs under me now. I have an awesome opportunity which I will share with you all later in August, but it is requiring me to buckle down for the next several weeks with a discipline I have never known. I said to B last nite, that I'm feeling like I'm surfing a wave and not sure if I'll be able to ride it or it will crush me. And then I proceeded to tell him all the things I needed to take care of so that I handle this phase of growth in stride and avoid some of my past pitfalls. One of the things I know about myself is that I never budget for studio improvements, I make do with things the way they are, which, in the end causes me a greater amount of time and labor to do my job. Here's and example: clutter! In June, I took an afternoon off and went down to Home Depot and bought some shelving and installed it. Now my studio is now nice and organized and serves my workflow needs much better. That sort of thing. I have made a small budget and a monthly commitment to address these issues regularly. On the list are new kiln shelves, and some tools that aren't too cheap but I've put off buying them for years....
Normally, when things get suddenly busy I am caught off guard and run around like a chicken for several weeks at a time. So I said to myself, 'been there, done that. What can I do to prepare for this so I'm NOT running around like a chicken? (well, at least not with my head cut off)' Things like stocking up on everything, making larger batches of glaze in advance, ordering all shipping supplies early, organizing my production schedule more efficiently (and sticking to it) etc...I love being a right brained soul, but to avoid constant stress and burnout, I need to let my left brain drive the car a bit more.
So on a lighter note, here's a vacay pic:

Vintage shopping on Hollywood Blvd...Dang! the coat was too small or else I woulda bought it--it's sooooo me!