Tag: neil degrasse tyson

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StarTalk Blog Post + Giveaway

Joel Cherrico has long drawn inspiration for his pottery from Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson and his show, StarTalk Radio. Last year, we wrote about many of the reasons why, in this blog post: “Art and Science: Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Thoughts.” To avoid repeating, here is a key point:

Dr. Tyson is a man of massive influence. He wrote for The White House newsletter, appears regularly on TV Talk Shows and his work in Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey was enjoyed by millions of people. He laid the groundwork of inspiration for Joel’s creation of, “Cosmic Mugs” which you can see in this early, goofy YouTube video:

Cherrico Pottery has been supporting StarTalk Radio on Patreon for years, to draw more inspiration from the cosmos, and then filter it into art. This past January, Joel and Sienna were given an amazing opportunity: take the perfect business trip to The Big Apple (StarTalk’s headquarters in New York City) to meet Dr. Tyson and the StarTalk Radio Team.

Photo by Justin Starr Photography

While in NYC, they also saw a piece of artwork that was another major inspiration for Cosmic Mugs: Vincent van Gogh’s historic masterpiece The Starry Night. 


StarTalk Blog

Thanks to the generous team at StarTalk, Joel was invited to publish a guest blog post titled, “Why ‘The Starry Night’ Is Universally Beautiful.” This blog reflects on several key ideas that help inspire Cosmic Mugs. These include how “Technology, Generosity and Kindness” have all helped create and sustain success for Cherrico Pottery.

Giveaway: $540 Value, 3 Winners, No Purchase Necessary

Please feel free to enter our newest giveaway, where three different people will each win one of “Our Best Cosmic Mugs.” Find all the details on how to enter by reading through Joel’s Blog on startalkradio.net, which can be found here: startalkradio.net/why-the-starry-night-is-universally-beautiful/

Dr. Tyson sipping wine from one of Joel Cherrico’s “Lunar Cups”….how cool! Photo by Justin Starr Photography

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Audacious Pottery Goals: How Failure Fuels Innovation

One year ago today, I published a blog post titled, “Where Will You Be One Year From Today?” This was my goal:

“One year from today, my goal is to break ground on a new pottery studio that supports future pottery production with 100% solar fired pottery.”

I failed. I still live in the same tiny apartment that I lived in while writing “A Potter’s Journey” years ago, and I work in the same dirty, old studio. The pottery is fired with 100% of whatever fuel is generated by the electric company.

It’s not the first time I’ve failed so publicly…far from it. You can read all about my most gut-wrenching failures in this American Craft Council blog series, “A Potter’s Journey.”

But having BIG dreams, even when you might fail, fuels innovation. Today is also the 2 year anniversary of the time I set the Guinness World Records™ title for ‘most pots thrown in one hour by an individual.’

Most of the World Record Pottery Planters have been given away, purchased by people globally and opened remarkable new doors to new fans and celebrities alike. It almost didn’t happen, because I threw my back out practicing, which can be a serious problem for potters. Pushing through that failure led to achieving the ridiculous goal of actually braking the record- on a kick-wheel, for the first time in history!

“If you set your goals ridiculously high and it’s a failure, you will fail above everyone else’s success.”

– James Cameron, filmmaker, philanthropist, and deep-sea explorer, qtd. in Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss

This doesn’t mean you should let your ego run wild, trying to be better than everyone. It means that audacious goals will bring you to EPIC new heights, even if it’s not the heights you expected. You, and everyone around you, will achieve what you never thought was possible.

I might live in a tiny apartment, with the same dirty, old studio, but that apartment is shared with the love of my life. We’ve already drawn a floor plan for the studio we hope to build together and we’re saving money. We’re also setting more audacious goals and feeding inspiration into our artistic careers, like this trip to NYC to meet Neil deGrasse Tyson at the StarTalk Radio Patreon Party….

Photo by Justin Starr PhotographyTwitter: @urbanastronycInsta and Facebook: @justinstarrphotography

…or our annual trip to the Rocky Mountains to escape the madness of modern life for a short time, to relax in the vast mountainous landscape.

 

Dream Big, Start Small

Even little actions, like this technique I developed to reduce cracking in my “hump thrown” pottery, can have profound long-term effects. I use this technique every time I throw pottery, and millions of people have been captivated by it.

Plan Long-Term

The American Craft Council and I created a relationship through a series of blog post and interviews, but now it’s time for us to keep doing whatever work is required to grow a strong, thriving craft community for all of us. That’s why I signed up to exhibit “Big Pots” and new sculptural art at their ACC St. Paul Show this year.

Giving Back

cherricopottery.com/awards was designed solely for this reason, also sponsored by the American Craft Council.

P.s…

Do you want to see Cherrico Pottery in person, alongside hundreds of professional artists? April 20-22nd we’re setting up at the ACC St. Paul Show in Minneapolis exhibiting a selection of Big Pots, Cosmic Mugs and performing Live demos. Hope to see you there!

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Art and Science: Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Thoughts

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist known for his ability to integrate science into mainstream pop culture. He is the director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City, hosts and operates the television and radio show StarTalk, is the author of 13 books, and has 9.8 million Twitter followers. He’s an accomplished man, to say the least.

Cherrico Pottery has long been fans of Dr. Tyson’s work, specifically because he sees the value in art. He says artistic expression and scientific discovery cultivate the same emotions. It’s both a scientist’s and artist’s job to communicate the awe, splendor, and the beauty of the world around us. Dr. Tyson says that one large difference between art and science is that if a scientist doesn’t discover something in the universe, someone else will. Art, on the other hand, is something different:

“In the arts, what you create, no one who was ever born before you or will be born after you from your death onwards, will ever compose exactly the same thing you did.”

– Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Creativity and Science

Our friends at StarTalk created a video with a few reasons for why it’s important to continue art education. Dr. Tyson is an expert in the sciences, but he understands that in order to succeed and grow in scientific knowledge, you must have certain skills that aren’t always taught in science classes.

One of these skills that overlap between art and science is creativity. Dr. Tyson points out in this video that the human mind is capable of both precision and creativity. The best scientists are creative and the best artists bring some rationality and order into their artwork. What makes Joel’s Cosmic Mugs so spectacular is because he has integrated both creativity and order into each mug. The cosmic glaze on each mug is not meant to depict the cosmos, but instead, express it.

When Dr. Tyson speaks about the topic of art and science, there’s a good chance he brings up Vincent van Gogh’s famous painting, Starry Night. He often says that it’s the first painting that didn’t reflect reality, but instead emotion. He says that art and science are the two of the few things we create that will last past our lifetime.

Joel has gifted Dr. Tyson and the team at StarTalk a few different mugs throughout the years to show his support. Dr. Tyson personally owns a Moon Mug and a Cosmic Mug. Joel also supports StarTalk radio and podcasts by donating to them through Patreon. Joel even sometimes wears a StarTalk shirt in his Facebook live videos. Inspired by StarTalk’s Patreon, Joel recently has launched his own Patreon. It’s a way for fans of Cherrico Pottery to get more content. Don’t worry though, Joel will still be active on Facebook, including his live videos.

Happy Halloween

Halloween might be every child’s favorite holiday, and Dr. Tyson was no different. Maybe it was a sign of his future career when his favorite candy bars were Milly Ways and Mars Bars.

Halloween Pottery Giveaway ($446 value)

Thanks so much for reading this far. Please feel free to enter this giveaway, in celebration of Halloween. 4 winners: 3 of Joel’s best Cosmic Mugs, and 1 Signed Copy of ”Ceramics TECHNICAL” that published about Joel’s Cosmic Mugs.

 

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11 Cosmic Quotes: Why Are They Called “Cosmic Mugs” Anyways?

Why are Joel’s mugs called “Cosmic Mugs” anyways? Wikipedia says, “Cosmic is anything pertaining to the cosmos” and the cosmos “is the Universe regarded as a complex and orderly system; the opposite of chaos.”

Our Universe is vast and mysterious, far more mysterious than what human beings can comprehend. But the cosmos also defines anything close and familiar in our modern, complex society, like a cup of coffee.

These “cosmic quotes” tell about just some reasons why Joel Cherrico chose to model the cosmos with clay and fire:

#1: Author Ryan Holiday captures this quote from Neil deGrasse Tyson in his book “Ego Is The Enemy.”

#2: Bill Nye (The Science Guy) shares his favorite scientific fact on CBS “This Morning.”

#3: This quote from Carl Sagan comes from his famous and humbling video properly named “Pale Blue Dot.”

#4: Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel to space, had this to say about how art and science are related.

#5: One of the greatest minds in our history, Albert Einstein wrote this passage about his respect for the cosmos and the mystery it represents.

#6: Stephen Hawking, a leader in the scientific field of cosmology, ends a talk with this memorable quote.

#7: President John F Kennedy was committed to further space exploration, science and innovation. This quote is from his Inaugural Address.

 #8: Galileo Galilei, a pioneer in the field of astronomy, had this to say about mystery, science and art.

#9: Chris Hadfield directly wrote this quote to Joel about his Cosmic Mugs. Check out this Blog Post for more information about Hadfield.

#10: Charles Bolden was part of the crew that successfully deployed the Hubble Telescope. Hubble’s incredible pictures inspire Cosmic Mugs.

#11: The last quote is written by Joel himself in the magazine CeramicsTECHNICAL.

Art that lets you taste the Universe everyday

Every Cosmic Mug is crafted with this purpose in mind. Joel’s goal is to give every owner of a Cosmic Mug the chance to touch, taste and reflect on the Universe every morning by doing something as simple as drinking a cup of coffee.

Astronaut Mark Vande Hei with a Cosmic Mug gifted from Joel. Vande Hei and Joel Cherrico are both alumni of College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University. Astronaut Vande Hei is currently enjoying a tour on the International Space Station during the writing of this post. His “favorite office mug” stayed here on Earth.

Joel brings the cosmos into your home by choosing glazes that are made up of the same elements that are found in the outermost galaxies in our cosmos. Check out this early video below where Joel was first beginning to develop the ideas behind Cosmic Mugs a couple years ago:

Spirals are seen throughout the Universe and are at the foundation of Cosmic Mugs, which are formed by twisting clay on a pottery wheel. Scientists don’t know why spirals are so common, but like most things in the Universe, it is a mystery waiting to be unraveled. Read more about why spirals are so common in our Universe in this Discover Article.

One of Joel’s newest pieces in his Big Jars and Wall Platters collection brandishes a spiral as a stunning Cosmic Wall Platter. Joel modeled it after what astrophysicists have determined about the Milky Way’s spiral shape, with subtle textures and colors that are entirely an expression of the art.

Do you have a favorite quote about the cosmos? Share in the comments please!

Image sources: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10

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Stoic Pottery: How Ancient Philosophy Inspires Cosmic Mugs

“Watch the stars in their courses and imagine yourself running alongside them. Think constantly on the changes of the elements into each other, for such thoughts wash away the dust of earthly life.” – Marcus Aurelius, quoted in “The Daily Stoic”

The Ceramic process is almost like magic. Clay, water and earth elements change through fire to create gorgeous coffee mugs.

“As cosmologist Neil deGrasse Tyson has explained, the cosmos fills us with complicated emotions. On the one hand, we feel an infinitesimal smallness in comparison to the vast universe; on the other, an extreme connectedness to this larger whole.” – Ryan Holiday, quoted in “The Daily Stoic”

Have you ever wondered why I call them “Cosmic Mugs” (cosmicmugs.com) instead of “galaxy” or “nebula” or “stellar” mugs? Art is complicated, and “cosmic” seems like a better word to convey all the complexities inherent to pottery vs. factory made mugs.

“Stoicism” helps me wrestle with these ideas. It helps me ask, “What is most appropriate and honest?” It helps me realize that pottery can be tough, and that even if I get a bad batch of pots, I can recover and make more. If pots have rough textures, that might require building an entire section of our website devoted to explaining it. As renowned artist Richard Bresnahan says,

“It’s 1/3 the artist, it’s 1/3 the material and it’s 1/3 the firing. If you think that you’re going to expect to have control over the 1/3 of the firing, you’re going to be always disappointed.”

– Richard Bresnahan, “The Taste of Clay”

If you’re wrestling with ideas in your own art or struggles in your own life, you might benefit from stoic ideas too. This giveaway that my friends at The Daily Stoic are hosting is a great way to get introduced:

Daily Stoic Giveaway

These two Cosmic Mugs were mailed off to two modern day Stoic authors: Ryan Holiday and Tim Ferriss

The Daily Stoic (dailystoic.com) has helped me look more deeply into why I wake up everyday and make pots. You can learn about how a contemporary stoic book called, “The Obstacle Is The Way” helped me train for the pottery Guinness World Recoreds title here:

https://www.cherricopottery.com/2017/01/19/how-meditation-helped-me-set-a-pottery-world-record/

Stoicism sounds boring, but the benefits in my life and pottery career have been remarkable. This giveaway has a bunch of amazing “stoic” items and it’s a great way to get your feet wet in how these ideas might be able to help you:

Daily Stoic Giveaway

No, I’m not getting paid to say this, I’m just a huge fan and have seen remarkable benefits in my own life and business. If you are struggling with anything, then I just thought you might benefit stoicism too. Here is what I find most useful and valuable:

Watch Joel Cherrico set the pottery Guinness World Records title for ‘most pots thrown in one hour by an individual’

What resources or tools help you get through tough times in your life?

Leave a comment below before Monday 8/28/2017 telling us what resources or tools have helped you get through tough times in your life. We’ll pick the best comment and send the winner one World Record Pottery Planter, ($179 value: $159 + 20 average packing and shipping) shipped almost anywhere globally, totally free!

To enter, you must leave one, genuine comment, or the moderator will not approve your comment or include you in the giveaway. Please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Please allow up to 48 hours for your comment to appear. You must also be on our email newsletter distribution list to qualify, so please make sure you are okay with receiving our email newsletter before you leave a comment. We will pick winners before the following Wednesday around 2pm Central and you will receive the pottery shipped to you nearly anywhere globally, totally free.