Join us for coffee . . . and clay?

Probably a few too many of us start, continue and finish our day with some type of coffee. From the purists who proclaim "Give me Folgers or give me death!" to the double skinny, vanilla, very blond, steamed, shaken not stirred with mint whipped cream on top, we all love our java.

Surprisingly as most believe that the caffeine in coffee causes the jitters , headaches and spastic interruptions, it really has a vastly different effect for most. In fact oddly enough (I have tried this and it works) giving your children a small cup of coffee helps them relax and get through the day. In fact some people have been able to totally avoid giving their children medication to deal with mild ADHD and ADD with a morning coffee.

For me it's like comfort food. Coffee time is a special time for me and my wife to just sit back and discuss life and what's going on. Sort of a "life managers meeting" component every morning before the day kicks off.

Our April issue of CERAKANVAS focuses on home life, entertaining, and the importance of that cup of coffee every day (or 2, or 3 or . . .) If you have some favorite entertaining pieces you would like to see in this issue let us know, we would be glad to consider them.

Also our guest host (these are those fun faux celebrities who help bring you each issue) is a wonderful sassy young woman named Betty Barrista, that's her on the cover of the magazine. Is she real . . . that's up to you to decide. We hope you enjoy this issue as much as you have the past ones! Now where's my keys so I can head off to Starbucks!

GENERATION LINK - Computers are a way of life

The year is 2010, and it's safe to say computers are a focal point in everything we do. Yet still there are far too many people who are not "linked" via the Internet yet. Fortunately there are great programs out there working to help make computers truly user friendly. You should visit a site called http://www.seniornet.org . There are two types of computer training-tutoring programs that are being generated. One is where other seniors act as coaches to help grasp the computer and many of the fantastic applications it can have. The next is where high school age students will work one on one with a senior to learn more about the operation of computers.

The CAG is looking at ways to help stimulate projects like Generation Link and get more computers connected with more people. From online magazines (soon to be basically the only way to get magazines) like CERAKANVAS, INTO Ceramics, and BLUEPRINT people can pull up techniques, locate products, learn great business tips and so forth. On-line seminars, that you can access through on-demand programming when you want to. Often these are called webinars, but the future holds lots to see and explore.

We are committed to INVITE and EXCITE people about ceramics. We hope you will join us in that commitment.

Follow the trend . . . for profit and fun

Three decades ago a cute little brother and sister act captured the heart of much of America. We knew them as Donny and Marie, a part of the vast Osmond entertainment empire. We know they still do occasional specials and talk shows, Donny has hosted a game show and they have had a great run on "Dancing With the Stars" But did you know that Marie has a love for ceramics?

Marie Osmond has a line of porcelain dolls she sponsors as well as a line of fanciful dinnerware and gift ware. As you can see from the picture they are very graphics based, with bold colors and simplistic design patterns. More importantly they are selling very well in boutiques and gift stores around the country. If you are selling on Etsy or e-bay or wherever, or you participate in local art/craft venues have you capitalized on the massive advertising dollars someone like "Marie" spends on promoting their products. I'm not advocating "copy-cat" stuff, but rather expanding what they offer with different pieces in a similar style. Don't try to under-sell as your catch. Rather up-sell with wonderfully creative pieces that are complimentary in style. As savvy merchants and artists it is important to keep an eye on the trends. It doesn't matter what we like, it's what the consumer wants. And if we get really lucky the consumer will want what we like.

Today is MLK day, how have you connected?

Today is MLK (Martin Luther King) day in the US. He was a powerful influence in human freedoms in America, and so has been honored by this country. the piece pictured here is a beautiful ceramic bust of King.

There are a few other MLK ceramics also available, and there is a wonderful variety of African-American Heritage pieces. Did you know that February is also African-American Heritage month? Issac Hathaway is the most prominent African-American ceramicist. We have put together a wonderful section in the upcoming CERAKANVAS about African-American Heritage from a ceramicists point of view.

Have you let your community know what you have to offer in honor of these events in your shop?

A Business Tool from Ceramic Architects - BLUEPRINT

Some of you may recognize the man in this picture, he is very famous. He is not a ceramicist, even though he did consult on the design of several world renowned ceramic pieces. He is not an author, even though there have been many books written about him. He is not an actor, though his designs have appeared in some of Hollywood's greats. He is an architect. His name is Frank Lloyd Wright. He is without question one of the worlds most known architects. His buildings were powerful and their design spoke volumes. But he wasn't content in just designing the brick and mortar (B&M) structures. He made sure the stained glass windows, worked with the design. That the furniture and art (including ceramics) flowed with the house. Not only in ergonomics but also in aesthetics. Today BLUEPRINT got off the ground as a magazine on it's own. The way we design and build our ceramic business is critical to its success, and more importantly it's sustainability. We like to think that the articles and stories we bring you in BLUEPRINT are like a bunch of Frank Lloyd Wrights bringing you the plan, the blueprint, for your businesses success. We hope you enjoy our new magazine and we would love to hear from you about what you think. Have a great day!http://www.ceramicartistguild.com/blueprint.html

Learning to be "artistic"

The most incredible masterpiece ever created, is the human brain. As I studied for my Masters in Counseling at George Fox University I was called to study many things about the human brain. How I wish today I could visually monitor the brain activity in a ceramicist when they are creating something new. But you don't need trippy modern medical science to show you what's going on. Simply look at their face, watch the expressions as they create. As soon as they are into the rhythm of painting they become absorbed. Watch for the tongue to slowly slip out the corner of their mouth. It's almost like it's a tail that helps them stay balanced. Art is a great tool for relaxation and to relieve stress. True that some people stress about doing a "good job" on their soon to be new masterpiece. A good teacher will remind them to take ownership of their piece, to let it be an extension of you. The danger comes when someone is simply letting down to complete a task, and the art becomes a chore instead of a choice. Encourage your students to be creative, encourage them to do the best they can, and encourage them to take the next piece to the next level whatever that may be!

Special Note: Competitions are great places to learn how to improve yourself and how others feel about your work. Make sure the competition is judged by trained judges who know how to minimize personal likes and dislikes (it's impossible to eliminate these) and are focused on workmanship and creativity. Both the CAG and the AFAA have current judging programs that offer certification. There are other past programs that have also produced quality judges. Just because someone has done ceramics for a few years or even a few decades, does not make them competent judges.

What did you get from the Queen today?

Name dropping, sounds rather unpleasant or perhaps even vindictive. But what if you could say " Oh yes, The Queen Mother herself was quite delighted with the ceramic I made for her" Now I'm not talking about just saying something that isn't fact based. What if you could say the the Queen of England, or The President of the United States, or the Pope, or some famous celebrity like Stephen King, Michael Jackson, Johnny Depp or Oprah Winfrey had one of your ceramics in their home or office? It becomes a real "wow" moment. Now if you think you just paint up a stylin' yard gnome, throw him in a box and mail him off to Buckingham Palace or Obama care of the Oval Office at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, guess again. There is an extensive amount of protocol and procedure that must be followed prior to the gift being accepted. But it is not impossible. The big question, "Are you good enough?" The question begs two answers. The first from you. . . Do you think you are good enough? The second is from a few serious ceramic art critics . . . Do they think you are good enough?

Most of you reading this will NEVER even attempt to go beyond the first question. But if you do, be prepared for a new level of acceptance of you as an artist. There is the possibility that you will have your gift rejected. But if it is accepted imagine having a card in your portfolio like the one located at http://www.ibuss.com/imdesign/html/queen.html . Now when you go there, poke around. This belongs to the site of Igor Mintch, master sculptor, mold maker and ceramicist. Igor is a wonderful artist, and his story is very impressive.

Igor's story goes beyond just receiving a thank you for his sculpture he presented to the Queen of England, The President of the United States and the Pope. His is a story of survival and commitment to his love of the ceramic art. I hope you will drop Igor a line after you read it. He has some wonderful pieces and his mold line will definitely help you produce bisque that will sell in your shop.

You can also see his delightful Country Chess Set featured in the "Down on the Farm" edition of CERAKANVAS on Feb 1. 2010.

These boots were made for walking . . .

If you were to go to mapquest.com and pull up a 50 mile diameter map, with your shop being the very center point. From that point attache a string equal to 25 miles in scale on the map. Now draw a circle. Inside of this circle is all places within a 25 mile distance, any direction from your shop.

Now go buy yourself a pretty pair of turquoise boots and start walking. OK, so you don't have to buy new boots (though that would be fun) and you can drive instead of walk, though walking is healthier. Begin looking for other shops that offer ceramics. You will need to look around as many are in backrooms and basements with no outside signing to speak of. Most do not have phone numbers in the local phone books or signs on the street advertising their shop. But none the less, they are out there.

Mount your map on a piece of cardboard. Now create a legend (that's cartography lingo for guide). You might use red pins for other ceramic shops, blue pins for other ceramic teachers, yellow pins for places that sell brushes you can use on ceramics, green pins for places that sell paints you can use on ceramics, and so on. Resources are not always where you think they might be. Knowing what is available local is always a good thing.

When you venture out take a stack of business cards ( you can find them free on the Internet almost anytime) and some flyer's or brochures about your business. As you visit them collect their business card and make note of what they offer that you can use in your business. If its something you don't stock, and don't plan too, tell them you will be referring your customers to them when they need "such and such" as you do not carry it. This whole action of visiting and sharing will go a long way in developing relationships. Your competition is not your enemy, they are part of why you stay in business.

So step out, and make the first move.

Be on the "EDGE", and move ahead

You might be wondering why there is a picture of the cover of Good Housekeeping in this blog entry. So let's play detective:

It's the first cover of 2010

It's one of Americas most respected women's magazines

But here's the real reason . . . the cover is color coded in Turquoise - The PANTONE color of 2010.

Some people who seem to know far more than the rest of us, say sure CAG, yadah, yadah, yadah. . . . no one cares about colors or themes of the year. No one cares about SMART marketing or what words like sustainability mean. You prefer to say "We just want to make a ton of money again in ceramics."

So that being the case, Good Housekeeping and over 75% of the other popular newsstand magazines are just in rare coincidence that they are using Turquoise as a theme color for their 2010 first issue as well.

If we visited your shop tomorrow, would it scream 2010 we are here and ready to serve our customers. If you have a storefront and someone is walking down the sidewalk, do they feel you are a the place for them to stop in for 2010? Are you more concerned about blowing some left over Christmas bisque, or enticing them to come in and create a "LOVE MACHINE" of ceramics for their sweetheart? If you have a web page does it scream, "I'm the one for your needs in 2010!"

Good Housekeeping didn't just play into this cover design by happen chance. And the flow throughout the inside follows the 2010 color schemes. So now you say OK we get it, why so much emphasis on color? Ceramics is a color based art/craft form. Color means something in this industry. The proper use of color is vital to a quality piece.

the ceramic studio that will build a sustainable business in 2010, will have to be learning how to bust out of the box of tradition, and conform to the brilliance of creativity. Let us know if your shop is in the box or bustin' out!