Musings and other results of a snowpocalypse

Whitney Smith's post about making ceramics your job offered some good advice for beginning artists like me.  I am struggling with the decision of whether to make ceramics my job or keep it as my art (art that substantially helps out with the bills but does not make a decent living).  Much as I would love to be able to say I support myself solely on my art, I feel like the more I support myself on it, the less it will be my art and the more it will be my job.  The moment I begin analyzing how salable a piece is, all the joy is sucked out of it.

Her advice to make time for other hobbies and pursuits is easily taken (and to an extreme!)-- I have several other loves besides ceramics, including mosaics, graphic design, cooking, and writing.  Also, a couple part-time contracting jobs unrelated to art.  It's finding the discipline to commit the hours to ceramics that I have trouble with, especially when I view it as a business rather than art.  A part-time business, I'm okay with.  The question is, which part-time job should I focus on in order to make a living?

In other news, here is the aforementioned snow dog.  I told you it wasn't great, but we love looking out our bedroom window and seeing it looking loyally up at us.

And here is the heart pie I made from the recipe I found in the Martha Stewart Living February 2010 issue.  The recipe made 10 of them, and it took me a mere 2.5 hours.  It was just what I was in the mood for: a long evening of cooking, accompanied by a glass of wine, with a delicious reward. My mom and Ray were glad I was snowed in with them!