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VCPG Newsletter

December 2022
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VENTURA COUNTY POTTERS’ GUILD


December 2022 Newsletter 


Members' Meeting 

December 12th @ 6:30pm/7:00pm Holiday Showcase 


For Your Calendar: December 

8th...........Board Meeting @ 3:30pm 

December 12th...........Holiday Party on Zoom 

January 5th...........Board Meeting @ 3:30pm 

January 23rd...........Members’ Meeting @ 6:30pm 


President’s message • December 2022 


Writing a monthly column 


I was listening to an interview with a newspaper columnist last week. The early conversation was about the difficulty and frustration built into the omnipresent need to come up with something cared about that may be interesting to other people. 


I thought, “Hey, that’s me!” I never had thought about writing the presidents message for the newsletter as a monthly column. Duh... And, I have the exact same experience of what the hell is there to say that I care about that may be interesting to others. 


The way I ‘solve’ this dilemma is I just allow the inner blank sheet of paper to thumb it’s nose at me, to tell me that I don’t have anything else to say, that no-one cares anyway, that maybe I could make an excuse for not writing one, or say April Fools in December, or... the endless barrier to just starting. Then unexpectedly a starting point arrises, and I begin. 


What’s here first is Club Express. It feels like I’ve talked too much about ClubExpress recently and yet, here it is, consuming a large amount of mental space and physical time. Not just mine, but Terry Wilson’s and Foz’s. We volunteered to shepherd this vision into actuality. We’ve had the support of a number of Committee Chairs and other individuals in gathering data, proofing the text on webpages, giving design feedback. Feeding their knowledge and intelligence into the birth process. 


A month ago I was feeling uncertain that we were going to make our January 2nd launch date. It felt like there was still way too much to do. On Sunday, December 11, during the — the 3 brains are better than one — weekly meeting where we review where we are and what’s next it became obvious that in the prior 10 days many various streams of information and site creation had come together. Our member data was imported, custom pages were created, data relationships were being implemented. Then, BOOM, miraculously, months of planning and slow creation were coming 

together into a functional whole. 


It’s just like being an artist, being a potter... 


Starting with a vision and working one’s way back step-by-step to a starting point—an action that can be taken. Then stumbling forward toward that vision. 


It’s an amazing experience...creating...a unique experience. 

This process, this creating experience is available to anyone who jumps into your Guild’s sandbox with us to continue creating the future vision and building the sand castles between here and there without knowing what they look like ahead of time. This ongoing experience is what lies hidden within the Invitation of Team Service. 


A way to look at increasing levels of responsibility in this or any organization is the willingness to stand in an increasingly larger field of not knowing what to do. 


For me the stumbling forward looks something like this... I’m looking and listening and brainstorming and spit balling, and scientific-wild-ass- guessing. I’m taking a step forward (cause), see what happened (effect), see what’s missing and course correct. Take another step, see what happened, see what’s missing and course, correct. The same process over and over — over and over — until I’m satisfied with the results. Then back into the process at a much more subtle level—fine tuning the form, the function, the aesthetics until that moment of balance, of peacefulness arises. 


Hmm... It’s the same cycle I live with clay; the same cycle I live with teaching; the same cycle I live with relationships; with learning/ creating in any realm. When I’m not in this evolving cycle, I’m in gridlock; with the fear that arrises when I’m focused on the size of the field of not-knowing. When I notice that I see signposts but don’t know how to read them. Frozen in not-knowing. To exit gridlock... just do something! Any action, even a poorly conceived one creates an effect, and a response which starts the cycle. It doesn’t matter where I start the cycle. What matters is that it starts and I accept it’s invitation to continue. 

This is another view of what Team Service looks like. Using the creative cycle we have trained ourselves in with clay and bring it to a domain of Guild functioning where we have an inclination to play in the sandbox with others. 


When I started with writing this monthly column, I had not an inkling that it would end here. Entering the creating process and following its invitations brought me here. 


Happy potting. 

Wyn Matthews, VCPG President 50+ year potter

805.207.3122 me@wynmatthews.com 


January Board Meeting Link • 1/5/23 @3:30 


All Guild members are invited to attend the monthly VCPG Board of Directors Meetings. 


Please contact Stacy Rowe at stacer2000@gmail.com if you would like to receive the Agenda Packet in advance of the Board of Directors Meeting. 


Topic: VCPG January Board of Directors Meeting

Time: January 5th, 2022 03:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) 


Join Zoom Meeting 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89911310226? pwd=V1grWHNXQnpFSUxvd0t0WENNbkVTZz09


Meeting ID: 899 1131 0226

Passcode: 941936

Praying for Peace

December 3rd - 18th 

“Pathways of Peace” fundraising exhibit benefitting Greenly Art Space and Ukranian refugees www.GreenlyArtSpace.org 

2698 Junipero Ave, #113, Signal Hill, CA 90755 

Looking for a used electric kiln

Mike Speshyock 805 453 8287 


The VCPG Library 

Interested in learning more about a specific area of ceramics? 

Check out VCPG's professional library! 


For a list of items available for check out, go to the VCPG website Membership page, and look under the Library. 


To check out an item, fill out the form at the bottom of the page. http://venturapottersguild.org/membership/ 


Items are shipped at no cost to you. You can return via mail (at your cost) or to the gallery. 


Our collection currently contains 42 DVDs and over 140 books. There is something for everyone, so please take advantage of this amazing resource! 


In January we will be welcoming Nancy Currey, she is taking over library duties from librarian Amanda Mason. 


A heartfelt thank you to Amanda for her time and dedication in curating VCPG's library collection. 


Please contact library@vcpg.org with any questions. Meredith Reu, Library Assistant 

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