What is your motivation in glass?

[the-thought-police]

How about all of the above, but I'd replace the popularity/fame part with appreciation. It's good to have your work be appreciated, especially by others who do similar or the same work.

At first I chose glassblowing because it was a quicker path to more money with less starting debt than what I originally set out to do, go to college to become a music professor. Since then it has worked as a distraction and a form of expression a plenty, and I do like to always strive for more knowledge and experience in everything I do.

As far as the expression part goes, what's my motivation there, I've noticed over the years, I like to make things that look like things. The chainsaw, island, flamingo, musical instruments, the list goes on. I do very little baroque stuff, and slightly more pieces that's main thing is the fancy color work. I mean I like to do that stuff too, it's fun, but it's not my main thing, it's not what tends to come out of me when I decide to have fun with it.

[PyroChixRock]

All of the above, except popularity/fame. I never do well with that part. I fumble through interviews and always regret them after.

Also not on the list: I do this to be able to be here for my kids. Without glass there would have likely been some office job, away from home, and babysitters/day care. My kids never had to experience that and I feel so blessed to be able to give them a life with me 24/7.

Thank you glass gods!!

[the-thought-police]

Yes, YES! At home with the kids is huge. I started before I had kids though, so it was not part of my motivation, so much as a bonus once the kiddo's showed up.

How about, "work from home", and a "many or all of the above".

[Kovacs Glass]

For me, at this very very early stage insetting up shop and starting out I see a wonderful opportunity. An opportunity to get involved in a medium that I've been facinated by for a very long time. An opportunity to not have to put up with the bullshit that surrounds corporate companies and to work for myself on my own terms. With that is the opportunity to make money and to support myself and my partner on my income. Then there is also the opportunity to learn a skill/craft/art that has a never ending cieling as to what can be achieved and I think that is what captivates me the most.

[Mac Maestro]

At first it was the challenge and a mesmerizing activity. Fire and smoke.

Then it was about making my own way in the world without bosses and authority.

Then it became a discipline and a job to feed and house and clothe children.

Then I found my mind could escape while my hands created. It became my meditation and my solitude.

Then it became my muse. I could express myself through the art of it, and absorb great amounts of knowledge by feeding my mind information during the flow state.

That's pretty much where I'm at now. None of those things went away except one of my children turned 18 and moved out.

[Aymie]

All this time and not one person has offered me pussy or a wide brimmed hat!

[itssteve]

I really love being able to hone a craft, to watch yourself get better each day and conquer things you couldn't do a week ago. Going along with that is the vast amount of things to learn regarding glass, I don't imagine I'll ever learn it all no matter how much time I dedicate.

Being able to work from home is also a huuuuggeee deal for me

[Greymatter Glass]

i dont see the option for "chicks, man."

damn I KNEW I was forgetting something... I guess that would fall under fame/popularity then.

[Greymatter Glass]

thats the same as fame.

i dont find this poll to be constructed in an easily answerable fashion, as I find three options about equally true for me. money, expression, and learning.

Yep, that's intentional, gotta pick one - I know they all apply to me more or less too.

[Mecha]

Trying to make objects of beauty and technical perfection.

I should say that this is never actually achieved. I try to move closer to an ever elusive ideal as the goal moves further and further away. There is real progress while chasing this ephemeral prize though, and that is rewarding. Some days I feel like I know nothing, and that I am drowning more and more in that ignorance as the combined knowledge and understanding of the medium expands so rapidly. Other days I kind of revel in that, and find satisfaction in the pursuit of my narrow path through it. (Hope that doesn't sound as pretentious as it does in my own head when I read it back.)

So I would say expression mainly, but pretty much everything else on the list as well. On a practical level, I need to get paid for my work in order to live, so money is an important part. And I also agree with what was said about appreciation vs. fame. It is really nice to know that you have connected with somebody by making something from raw materials that appeals to there sense of aesthetics. Distraction in the sense that I really enjoy when I am working on something that is so engaging to me that I don't even realize how much time has passed and I haven't given a thought to anything else except the task at hand. And experience and knowledge are how one progresses in skill and technique. So yeah, a bit of everything I guess.

Also, being free from working for someone else and having to deal with workplace politics and other interpersonal nonsense. Not that there are not real downsides to working for yourself and by yourself, it's just that to me, the good far outweighs the bad.

[CrassGlass]

it was a joke. here for fun and expression. meditation and relaxation. burn baby burn.

I totally read that as "here for fun and explosions" the first time!

[paulsafo]

Haha trying to minimize the amount of explosions lately, but sometimes they can be pretty awesome..

[Wilbur]

I used to work at a head shop here in eugene, and was how I got my intro to the industry. After two years and being burnt out working for a dill hole, the thought of self employment , beong rewarded/compensated for the hard work I was willing to put in was very appealing.

Self employment was my biggest attraction initially. I've never been 'artistic' or a hands on mr. Fix it type. and at during the beginning really didn't care about anything but getting paid. Over time, and as my skil set improved, I noticed my attention to detail, in all aspects of my life, increasing, as well as my confidence and interest in building/doing things. For that I am grateful.

After having a kiddo, and being on the torch full time for six years, it's still about money. I always seem to say, after this next prodo order ima crush another nice piece. Every now and then I make a piece outside my comfort zone that's fun and new. But fuck kids are expensove. And prodo pays.

[Jimi The Don]

All this time and not one person has offered me pussy or a wide brimmed hat!

Location location location. Up here in New England a simple wrap and rake can bring in maybe 12 to 14 pussies wholesale, throw a Homer Simpson milli on that bad Larry and they'll throw in a wide brimmed hat!

[Dglassman]

Ha that's great I've been here about 7 or 8 years work in a production shop making pipes have a shop at home and I still suck I guess I do it for some alone time got lots of kids

[Aaron Ellis]

For beauty of it and the challenge of learning something new.
When I started I needed a hobby to keep me out of the bars at night. So it started as a distraction for me. I do want success as well so, hell all of the above for me too.

[snoopdog6502]

The challenge of learning something new. The success of doing something I never did before. Kind of like pussy then...

Today I showed some old friends my newest stuff and they were surprised. They figured I was going to make a few nice pieces and sell my gear on E-bay.

[pipeshawk]

Glass is just such a versatile substance. You can make pendants for any age or person, pipes for people to realx with, crazy scientific apperatus to do any number of things, vaccum tubes for sound equipment and insturments, vases, neon signs, dilis, gauges, wine glasses. It reaches to so many different cultures and types of people.
I also really love the technical aspect to it. I oddly really get off on making an apperatus to spec. And there's just endless fascinating things you can research involving glass composition, color, annealing, optical and electrical propperties.

[EpochGlass]

From the moment I first melted glass and saw how the molecular structure changed as the glass heated up...that single moment of surreal fascination has pushed me to keep going and building the dream, even when the times got tough.

Perseverance and determination plus the vision of the dream I was building and how far along it has come over the years definitely added to the motivation. Lately things have seem to accelerated into hyper speed and it honestly feels like a dream. The progress that has happened in the last 3 years, but more so in the last 7 months, and especially the last 2 to 3 weeks, is almost mind blowing how everything just fell into place.

Now as added motivation, my first born child is due this coming May. Talk about an added motivation to really kick things into gear...providing a great life for family

Some of you already know what I've been up to/working on, and there will be a BIG update on my thread soon...

Not to mention how many new techniques and colours have come into play in the last 5 years.

To be honest, there's so many motivating factors, I could probably write a whole novel hahaha

[KLAW]

Don't know if it has been mentioned above (as I did not really read all posts) But I think you need to add "Medicinal" to the list, I guess distraction could be argued as such in some people's cases. However others I'm sure would consider it more of a medicinal/meditational thing. Perhaps "Therapy"?