hey y’all,

today, i’m not sipping on anything interesting. it’s hot outside, i just got back from pilates, and i’m drinking ice cold water. but, a couple of weeks ago i got to enjoy one of the best glasses of cabernet sauvignon i’ve had in ages. my friend aubrey took me to a fancy pizza place after i’d been facilitating a retreat for 3 days, and then she took pictures of me on her film camera.

i have a complicated relationship with getting my picture taken. when she sent me the photos, i saw my double chin, my tired eyes, my hairline receding. somehow, after absorbing them for a few days, i still really like them. maybe being caught on real film can you make you see yourself differently.

my friend jane and i also had an excellent italian meal with great wine recently. i feel like we have a lot in common, and i discover more similarities every time we hang out. she put out a newsletter recently about her mug collection, and while i love everything she puts out, this issue felt like a warm hug. i asked if i could steal this idea for this week, and she graciously said yes.

i have had an affinity for mugs my whole life. i have just begun to throw my own on the wheel, and i’ve been reflecting on what i like in a mug. as i build up my own pottery practice, i have to consider form and function. i decided to peruse some of my favorites and talk about what i like most about them. so, please enjoy some highlights from my collection (two of which i made!).

what i discovered through this exploration of my mug museum was that the things i love about them rarely have anything to do with form. there are best practices, of course, and there are accessibility needs to consider. i think that’s secondary to the memories and connections associated with the ceramic. maybe it’s just the anik-anik inside me, but it’s the intersections of my life and the people i love that make these mugs my favorite.

those are the kinds of mugs i hope to make. ones that remind people of how worth it love is. tomorrow is my last beginner class, and i have made it so far in the last 6 weeks. i start my intermediate class on july 26th, and all i ever want to do these days is go to the pottery studio. as long as there are no kiln disasters, i think i’ll be coming away with 4 mugs(!). they’re a little lumpy, and they’re not uniform, but they’re mine. i can’t wait to show them to you.

xoxo,

kuya von