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The commonalities between cuisine and quality tableware

I shall commence with some rudimentary thoughts. Namely, I feel that the endeavors of most potters fall into one of two categories. Specifically, the first is comprised of those works whose execution is of a more “decorative” nature, while the second pulls together other aspects of the profession whose underpinnings are different. Having offered such perceptions, for the reader’s benefit, I would posit that my own creative efforts predominately fall into the latter grouping, in that what I produce tends to be more “instantaneous” in its execution. Furthermore, while avoiding the sin of offering an over-generalization, I feel that my own body of work is more closely aligned to those of my artistic brethren whose expressive mediums are the fields of cut and blown glass. To wit, both oil painting and literary endeavors might also represent valid comparisons given the context. Thus, if I were to straddle the divide that exists between pottery pieces and the various categories of cuisine, then perhaps the instantaneous and expressionist aspects of my own efforts would find somewhat of a parallel among those practitioners of traditional Japanese fare in the form of sushi rather than something like French.


Having offered that, perhaps it would also be valid for me to further touch on pottery whose underpinnings are felt more “decorative” in nature. Regarding such, it is important to understand that much more time is required to complete each individual piece. To wit, the efforts of those of my colleagues who focus on such work are perhaps more closely aligned to what lacquerware specialists do earning their living. Put differently, with “decorative” pottery, there is the never-ending pressure on exponents to exhibit constantly increasing levels of perfection in their work. Obviously, in and of itself, that means that such cannot be produced in any great volume. By comparison, my work involves the concurrent creation of multiple executions at any one time, the caveat being that the pottery thus created is of a decent quality and is produced at reasonable volume on an ongoing basis. To wit, so as to remain in business, and ensure that I can continue to produce decent quality work, I must constantly sharpen my technical skills so as to increase the probability of success.


To make another comparison, if I consider the nature of Japan’s traditional culinary arts, I think a strong argument could be made vis-à-vis how closely my own work aligns with the efforts of sushi chefs. Thus, while the nature of the cuisine in and of itself would seem to be rather simple in terms of its preparation, I would argue that such is what makes the mastering of sushi that much harder. Put differently, there exists only a very fine line between run-of-the-mill fare and masterful and exquisite examples of the art. However, crossing that line again and again on an ongoing basis to the point of being recognized as a true master chef is next to impossible. To wit, due to how I make my living, I have numerous opportunities to talk with multiple sushi chefs. What is more, within their own small world, the brethren describe such excellence of execution in terms of certain individuals being able to do a “graceful job.” When I heard that terminology for the first time, I squirreled it away within my memory as an especially important idea. Thus, for the purpose of doing a job simply but well to the point of perfection, it is important that whatever is superfluous be both scraped away and dispensed with.


To change the subject somewhat, prior to their season or prior to an especially important event, professional sportspeople take the time to get themselves into condition so they can both endure and overcome the rigors of competition and come out on top. When I think about true professionals, I am also aware that it is impossible for them to be at the top of their game constantly. Indeed, even elite-level athletes sometimes experience a slump in form mid-season.


Meanwhile, in returning to my own job, on a day-to-day basis, I always attempt to raise the probability of my being able to create quality pieces. I say that because, without ensuring the mental toughness that needs to be called upon when delivering the best performance, it simply is not possible to put runs on the board. Then again, wouldn’t it be great if I could tinker about in my spare time and produce something whose quality was fantastic? Unfortunately, however, life is not like that. Indeed, with the passing of time, and the cumulation of age, it becomes impossible to think about one’s work just in terms of oneself. Thus, there are more and more things that need to be done and organizing everything in concert also becomes more difficult. However, such developments may not be used as an excuse. Rather, steps must be taken so as to be able to deliver top performance when one manages to organize matters and find even just a few minutes to tinker. Only by doing so is there a possibility that something wonderful will come into being.

The commonalities between cuisine and quality tableware

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