Pond Farm Pottery Residence
I learned during the pandemic lockdown that I am not as resilient as I thought I was. I thought I was going to take the time to write more, garden, live my life to the rhythm of being home all the time—the daylight and the seasons, but as it turns out I did no such thing. I ate a lot of rich food. Drank a lot of wine—unless I was drinking gimlets—and overall did the bare minimum to get by. I'm not proud of this but I'm not ashamed, either. It was something I lived through (we lived through) and here we are, reevaluating life as we thought we knew it.
Having come out the other end (I think) I am back to traveling for work. I am now writing a lot more, and believe it or not I am even gardening. I can't say I'm not eating rich foods any longer or not drinking wine, but those two I'll keep. But maybe tempered.
I am on Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve outside of Geurneville in Sonoma County for the month of June. I am their writer-in-residence and I could not be more grateful. I took the month off from work and my normal life (for the most part, checking emails on occasion and tracking projects to ensure they don't die due to my absence) but definitely living life to the rhythm of the day.
I am living in a not-so-rustic cabin—I have running (even hot) water, a kitchen (with microwave and fridge), and WiFi and phone service. In the old barn there is a family of foxes and I get to watch the kits jumping out of the fallen sideboards or peak their heads out of a hole in the wood while I read and write.
Pond Farm Pottery guest house and studio, my home for the next month
Pond Farm was established in the 1940s as a Bauhaus-inspired school and refuge for artists of all disciplines. Throughout the 40s, it was an artist’s colony but by the end of the decade, only the ceramicist Marguerite Wildenhain remained, where she lived and had a studio and pottery school, teaching students to master the art of wheel-thrown pottery.
In the 1960s the State of California took possession of Pond Farm to protect the watershed above Armstrong Redwoods SNR but allowed her to stay there, living, working, and hosting her workshops. Since 2012 the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, California State Parks Foundation, and California State Parks have worked together to renovate and preserve Pond Farm. Since 2021, the Pond Farm Artist Residency was underwritten by the Julia Terr Fellowship to support residencies. And last year I was granted one such residency that had to be rescheduled due to damage from the fires last summer.
While here, I hope to make progress on some of my writing projects that were put on pause due to the pandemic. I will post photos and stories to share of my adventure.
The first night, after having tacos at the taco truck in the Safeway parking lot and sleeping early, I woke at 3:00am to the sound of animals in what seemed like the walls. I wasn't able to go back to sleep, so I got up and read a book and then got to writing.
Ceviche tostada from the taco truck at the Safeway parking lot, Guerneville, CA
It was my birthday on the second; I always pause and think about my life on my birthday. And this year was no different, as I got texts and voice notes from friends and family all over, I couldn't help but reflect on my life and feel grateful. Being at Pond Farm is turning out to be the best birthday gift I could have asked for. I’m curious what this month here will bring me, I am already learning so much, I’m happy to have you along for the ride.
My writing space