Why All the Rainbows?

Why rainbows? I'll tell you. In the fall of 2015, I was working hard making pottery for Christmas. One afternoon for fun, I made three little test pieces, each hand thrown on the wheel. I gave one to my mom and kept one. They started like the plate below, just a little hint of rainbow with more areas of color. 

I loved them! It was my whole color palette on one piece? Yes please! They were so fun and fresh. My excitement over the rainbow pots was palpable. I think it was contagious even, people really enjoyed the rainbows, and they started selling well. So I quit making them. Yes, you read that last sentence correctly. Customers liked a product, it was selling well, so I quit making it. It doesn't make sense, but it does if you suffer from a critical inner voice.

I could go on and on about what causes an inner critical voice, but I'm not a therapist and it's different for everyone. I will just say it sucks. You make some awesome pots and this little voice says well...it's nice, but. 

It goes something like: What's so great about your rainbow pots? You think those colors really work well together? Ugh!

I remember my niece, Molly, telling me I was really hard on myself when she was in high school and I was in my twenties. What did she know!? It turns out a lot. 

My critical voice seems to like to rear its ugly head when I am stressed and newsflash, running your own business can be very stressful. That doesn't mean it is going to win though. I started making rainbow pots again last year and I have to tell you this last batch of rainbow mugs is amazing! (So take that critical inner voice!)

Whatever happened to that third test piece? To be honest, I gave it to my mom. My parents' cat, Lily, broke the first one so I gave her the third one as a replacement. See Lily below.