Sunday 1/2/22
On Sundays I reflect.
I had a beer on New Year’s Eve at the end of the night. It felt like a fitting way to wrap up 2021.
So here we are in 2022.The possibilities are endless.
Usually I write these essays on Sunday mornings, and on weeks when my morning gets consumed I don’t write them at all. This year I am committed to sharing these weekly essays with you, even if it means adjusting my routine. Each week I have thoughts about things I want to share here, and each week when I sit down to write I realize I can’t remember any of them. Tonight I can remember one thought I have been focusing on lately.
How would I spend my time if I had no financial constraints?
Yesterday I went snowboarding first thing in the morning. I beat the crowds and hit a few of my favorite powder lines, including my first runs in the legendary back bowls this season. I of course went to the studio after the hill to pack some orders and deal with a few odds and ends. Today I thought I would ride again, but I was tired and felt the need to get to the studio early to run Sunday Specials. Once I got there I turned on my kiln for warmth (it was freezing inside) and ultimately motivated myself to get on the torch. I made some production and some prep recognizing that it is officially crunch time for me.
The next two months will be the busiest of my life, and then I plan to take it easy in March. Aside from snowboarding I will be working for the next two months straight as we prepare for Glass Vegas and then the Fourth Annual Vail Cup Collectors Club on February 26 at Bat Country Studios. VIP tickets will be on sale tomorrow night at 6PM MST and GA tickets will be available later in the week. It’s going to be our best show yet!
For the first time ever my company is sponsoring an industry trade show; Glass Vegas which is also occurring in February. We will be vending at a booth next to the bar inside the trade show in support of the new Drinking Vessels category being added to the World Series Of Glass. I have spoken with a number of other artists who will be at the show and have drinkware in the works to be shown at their booths as well. Cup Culture really seems to be on another level this year!
I am working on a number of collaborations and solo work to be released at Glass Vegas. Every day I plan to chip away at the endless list of things I need to do with small steps so that when it comes time for assembly I have an abundance of prep ready to go. The exciting part is that as soon as I get home from Vegas I’ll have around two weeks to get ready for my show, which is a big part of the reason I have been trying to work ahead at any free moment I get.
I have been stretching in the mornings and tomorrow I have my first appointment with a personal trainer. I have been seeing my acupuncturist weekly and my pain is at an all time low. I am hoping to strengthen the muscles that are causing others to overwork and finally move past the ongoing years of pain I have been experiencing. Body Builder Ben is BACK!
If I could workout, snowboard, blow glass, and run this company every day I think I would live to be 100. All that and my smoothie game is still strong. They call me the smoothie king! I’m certain my morning smoothie is the key to my success. It is probably the longest standing practice in my life dating back to college.
I got messages from very random people last week in response to my very long blog post on my way home from spending the holidays with my family. It’s pretty cool that people read this. Some of you might remember when I used to write these essays and share them as my Facebook status every week before adopting this website hosted format. Others might recall the many screenshots posted on my Instagram story sharing these essays paragraph by paragraph. It’s kind of a zen thing for me to zone in and write. I kind of shut off a lot of other parts of my life when I write these weekly reflections. It feels like a break for my brain in a way.
I have been listening to podcasts every day this year (2022). I’m trying to get smarter and spend less mindless time watching Netflix or whatever. I found a podcast on Spotify from Bobby Hundreds called Adam Bomb Squad Presents Bomb Talk. Bobby founded a streetwear company called The Hundreds I have been a fan of since college, and wrote a book called This Is Not A T-Shirt that I consider one of the most important books I have read pertaining to being an entrepreneur. On the podcast, Bobby brings on guests to talk about NFT’s and cryptocurrency and the met averse - all things I feel at this point compelled to learn more about.
I still hate the internet, and technology.
But - resistance is futile.
I consider this to officially be my learning phase regarding cryptocurrency and NFT’s. This is a conversation I have been having, and after attending Miami Art Week last month it is clear these institutions are here to stay and will be integrated into mainstream society during my lifetime. I’ll be sharing more about that here in the coming weeks but ultimately won’t have the time or energy to really focus on my first release in the metaverse until after February. Until then I will be studying and learning as much as I can about the space.
I was interviewed this week by a friend for her podcast about Flow State and “Be Here Now” which I will share with you when it goes live.
My brother is coming to visit me soon. We’re going to shred the pow for a few days. I love snowboarding with my brother more than almost anyone else. We rode Vail together as kids in a whiteout on a family vacation. Obviously we had no idea where we were going at the time and probably spent more than half the day on catwalks, but nowadays we know exactly where to go. He can almost keep up with me too, and if it wasn’t for his asthma he would certainly kick my ass.
We’re still working on renovations as Bat Country Studios expands. I feel the need to emphasize that all the work is being done by our team and friends rather than hiring contractors and I certainly wouldn’t be able to pull it off without everyone’s help. This is all happening while we continue to run daily operations as well as after hours when friends like Mike Page are available to bring construction expertise to the team. The team is me and Marta, and neither of us have experience much less the time to renovate a warehouse. Progress has been moving along slowly but we’re all committed to getting it done for the show whatever it takes.
You should have seen me roll that primer on the walls. I didn’t last long with that job but I have been trying to make an effort to be more involved and hands on with the project. Then I tried to disassemble a work bench and gave up pretty quickly. I’m pretty worthless when it comes to construction, and while I am picking things up along the way from friends I also think it’s important to know what you’re good at and spend your time doing that.
Anyways that seems like enough rambling to be a sufficient submission here. Thanks for tuning in as always, and happy new year!
BB
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