willingly

There are three things important in life.

Honesty, which means living free of the cunning mind.

compassion, because if we have no concern for others, we are monsters.

curiosity, for if the mind is not searching, it is dull and unresponsive.

-Beatrice Wood

Howdy! From Tucson. It is my hope that this email/blog posting serves as a multifaceted way to communicate and connect with others, which I’m not all that well at doing lately. The shape of this may change over time but for now, I’ll share brief life/work updates and a few things that inspire me at the end. We’re living in a time where things can’t seem to slow down to save our lives, yet we can’t bear not being in constant contact within our social circles and platforms. And for what? Oversharing has given me pause. By communicating to the masses, we lessen our deeper bonds with those we hold true relationships. It’s hard not to feel cynical about that. It’s natural to want to connect with others - opposite genders, beliefs, and more. And so to that end, I want to do it in a way that feels more intentional. Writing has always been sacred to me. I have never been a great speaker- I always fumble on my words, say the wrong thing but mean the right, and feel the insecurity of glazed eyes and misunderstandings. Writing has given me my voice back. Where I can be free, take my time, and truly express myself.

Anyway, I moved back to Tucson over a year ago now and I’ve been busy making it home- or at least trying to. I took a break from my ceramic endeavors to focus on, well for the sake of transparency- trying to focus on the anxieties and loneliness of being physically here but emotionally unrecongnizable. Trying to balance all, family, love, work, friendships, and my own passions. I used to be so proud of how interdisciplinary I was. Learning makes me feel alive and I’m excited now, on this new journey to expand my skill set. I’ve also racked up quite a few hobbies now and I’m trying to pull off the balancing act of it all. I started getting back into gardening, recently joined a community to learn woodworking, started to learn how to cook-more learned a bit of welding and now I’m picking up irrigation practices- replacing values, learning parts, and understanding the importance of desert gardening.

It’s all been a nice change of pace, taking a slow break but I’m ready to get back to creating another cohesive body of ceramic work. Challenging myself and really pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I will no longer be shy about my work- but embrace and share it all. I have always been drawn to the works of Beatrice Wood. She was heavily involved in the Avant Garde movement. Her work is theatrical and unordinary, but known for using luster in single-firing. Luster, is a metallic glaze that gives off an iridescence look. Wood used in-glaze luster produced during a single glaze firing.

As a final note, thanks for being here and being interested in what I’m up to. In addition, I want to hear from you too. I’d like to start a dialog with anyone who wants to connect in a meaningful and productive way. I like emailing. I’ll pose a question I’ve long been thinking about personally - what’s holding you back creatively? Our lives are full of barriers to entry, and I’d like to know what other people experience and how they cope with feelings of doubt or physical hurdles they need to overcome when creating work to be proud of. I don’t know that these thoughts will ever go away, but I think by discussing them honestly we can create a better place for our tortured minds to rest. Some healing. That’s the journey I’ve been on at least, trying to find healing in every minute, every hour, every day.

That’s all for now.

Thanks for following along. I want to stay engaged and know what you are working on, working through, and what interest you. Reply to this email at any time and we can be pen pals.

-alexis