27 years of doing the same thing

Feb 12

For years I would spend my days at a counter
listening to what customers wanted

Starting out, I only half listened
I would show them all the things that I liked.

It would take some time

Lots of back and forth

I would eventually land on the one they liked.

A few years in I got so good at listening

I could pick the perfect one the first time around

It was like magic.

I was efficient at making the customer happy.

I could pick for them

I built for them

I delivered for them

And they were always happy.

I earned a good living

and made lots of people happy

But there was not much more in it for me.

Now I spend all my time listening to me.

I listen and I create

I create for the fun of creating.

Sometimes not having a clear end in mind.

Just playing

Trying to reach back in time to that spot on the playroom floor

When the block towers could reach the ceiling

And my best friend was a fish

Fuzzy and the pips, stoneware paperclay, 8 x 14 x 6 x 2021

jeanine pennell

The 50-50 rule