Starting work

If I'm in the middle of a project, whether it is at my full-time job or at my lampworking, my desk is cluttered. Papers, books, references, student papers -- all are organized so I can get at them, but it may not appear to be organized to anyone who looks at them. Similarly, rods of glass, twisties, pieces of cane, tools, and glass pieces lie scattered all over my tile-topped worktable.

But when I start working on a new project, such as writing an essay or making up a custom order, or even just trying some experiments with glass, I have to clear my desk or workbench. I put away all the glass rods, line up the tools, organize my stringers, and sweep up the pieces from popped glass. It's all part of the process of getting ready.

What new project have I got today in glass? I just got a new-to-me disc press, and I am excited to try it! I also have a custom order for my Fiesta series. Academically, an article appeared in the Atlantic Monthly about teaching adult students that seems to me to be written from the position of a helpless victim, and I want to reply with a far more active and hopeful vision for both adult students and their professors.

It's already ten ... time to clear those desks and get to work!