One of my favorite artists, Kelly Rae Roberts, has a greeting card that reads, “It takes as long as it takes, so be gentle on yourself.” These are the words I need to hear right now. As I’m beginning to dip my toes into the business of selling my pottery, it’s easy to want things to move quickly. At this starting point, delays can feel especially disappointing. For instance, my trip to the pottery store to get my pieces kiln-fired is delayed because my truck needs serviced before I go. This pushes everything forward a few weeks and slows the addition of new inventory as I’m building my shop. In the long-term this is really no big deal. But in the here and now, it feels like everything is moving at a snail’s pace.
But most often life doesn’t run at the speed we desire. Things either go too fast or too slow. And there’s no jumping ahead or skipping steps or controlling timelines. For me, when things don’t go as planned, disappointment often sinks in. That’s when I need to remind myself of these words, “It takes as long as it takes, so be gentle on yourself”.
Pottery itself has a way of teaching patience. It shows me how to allow the process to move along at its own pace. For example, if I try to rush the drying process of a teapot, the handle or spout could crack. Or if I try to add another coat of glaze before the first one finishes drying, I can risk an uneven result. The clay whispers to me, “it takes a long as it takes”.
So while my pieces and I wait for the trip to the kiln, and while I slowly see where this pottery path will lead, I try to take time to write, to hike along the Oregon coast, and to enjoy the cool evening breezes with my partner Jeffrey and trusty dog Louie. And of course, there’s always more fresh pieces to create! So I loosen my grip on control, and I breathe in the words, “It takes as long as it takes”!
