Thinking About Changing My Polymer Clay Tutor Blogging Schedule
“Please let me know your thoughts and opinions about this…” ~Cindy-L
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I know that many of you include my blog articles video tutorials in your daily routine. And for this, I can’t even begin to express how grateful and honored I feel, to have become such a close part of your lives.
When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is check for the new blog.. LOL. Actually, I start the coffee first and go to the blog while it is brewing. Later I go to my “day job” and dream of the day when I can stay home and play with clay !!! ~Anna-S
Just finished my morning ritual… turn on computer, start coffee, pour coffee, sit down at computer and open your blog. Sound familiar anyone? Needless to say there is always something special waiting. Cindy, thank you for expressing what many of us feel, that this is our clay home to which we bring our creative yearnings and know they will be satisfied. Beyond that, indeed, there is something more, this sense of community, family, friendship. It would be impossible, I think, to identify all the factors that contribute. It certainly begins with your talent and generous spirit in being willing to share it with us. Maybe, too, in a world where egos dominate and there is very little genuine kindness, we, from all countries and all walks of life, as Cindy put it, have found an exception. ~Elizabeth-S
I look forward each mornings to reading the blog. It helps make my day a little better. ~Barb-C
Cindy and Doug, Your combined efforts and products marked a turning point for me to the better as a major life improvement. I cannot thank both of you enough and am in your debt. It means the world to me that you both are so professional, caring and supportive. I wish you both the very best that life has to offer. May your business and reputations prosper and grow with daily blessings from me. Every day, each morning, I cannot wait to rise, grab a coffee, and read the latest blog and all the comments. It has been a long time since I have felt that type of motivation and excitement. Each daily blog post, comment and video get better and better, and it is so amazing and enjoyable to watch and participate! Fondly always.
~Jocelyn-C
I like being able to read and watch your videos with my coffee in the mornings. ~Barb-C
Just hoping everything is okay Cindy. It’s 9:30 on Wednesday morning and there’s no daily post yet. I’m so used to seeing a new post each morning by the time 8:00am rolls around! Just want to let you know someone is thinking about you and hoping everything is okay. Actually, the 1st thing I look at each morning is your daily blog. You have taken over my life Cindy!!! lol ~Maureen-G
Thanks for all these inspirational blog posts Cindy. I’m enjoying them and learning lots each morning with my coffee – and from the comments too!~Aims
I LOVE Cindy’s site because it’s so much more than instruction (which is excellent) but a community which I was sorely lacking. My coffee and I are here every morning to see the next dose of polyclay fabulousness! This has fast become one of the few things I must do every morning. Coffee, email, Cindy’s polymer clay site just to see what’s new… sometimes I don’t even do the email… just coffee and Cindy to calm my hectic whirlwind. Cindy Lietz’s talent, know-how and willingness to share it all, combined with this supportive, inquisitive group of artists, new and old makes an incredibly unique, enjoyable, need-to-have-in-my-life place. I can’t thank you all enough! Fabulous!!! ~Melinda-H
I agree with everyone else. This is THE place to come for everything clay and we can never thank you enough for your hard work, enthusiasm, and great tips! This is the first site I check every morning (even before my etsy shop)!
~Carrie-W
Now after 2 years (26 months to be exact), the wonderful community here is growing to a point where Doug and I are starting to fall a bit behind in being able to keep up with all of the demands associated with managing a site like this.
So we are re-evaluating a few things… and your input would be greatly appreciated.
One area I’d like to discuss today, is the possibility of going to a 5-day blog publishing schedule (Monday to Friday), instead of the 7-day format you all have become accustomed to.
So the question is… could you live without me for 2 days out of the week?
Actually, it wouldn’t be too drastic of a change. The blog site would still be available on Saturday’s and Sunday’s… for you to read and comment at. It’s just that I wouldn’t post new articles during the weekend.
This shift would allow Doug and I to start spending more time on creating the extra videos you guys have been asking for… like putting together a lanyard course for example… and also teaching some more complex cane projects.
Cindy, If there is a way that we (those of us who wanted the lanyard tut) could buy this tut separately I too would join in. ~Joyce-M
I hope that this idea for a lanyard tutorial will come up again. I’ve looked far and wide online and there is nothing out there that is easily understood or filmed halfway decently. When other people film a clay tutorial, why do they not understand the importance of the close up? And don’t get me started on the sound quality. Anything on YouTube I have to plug speakers into my laptop so I don’t have to lip read. With Cindy, you KNOW you are going to get a professional, easily understood and well thought out lesson with great picture and sound. It’s like Cindy and Doug went to film school. They get it. ~Jill-V
Cindy, I think a separate lesson open to those of us interested in lanyards, would be great. Thanks for allowing us the input to shape what we’re learning here. ~DJ
Please tell me what you think about my “Weekendless” proposal. I’m really curious to hear what everyone has to say about it. You guys have been getting really good at speaking your mind… and I appreciate hearing from all of you.
To put this little idea to the test, let’s try something that has never been done before, over the past 26 months. Tomorrow (Sunday, May 2, 2010), I’ll hold off from publishing an article here at the blog.
Now we all know this is not going to cause the world to come to an end, but it will give us (me included), a chance to see what it feels like.
Don’t worry, I’ll have a new post ready for you first thing Monday morning. It will be a Spotlight article. Until then…
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As someone that has her own blog/s ..and reads many of them.. I am in full agreement with Sue F (a message nearer the top of this very long list) that blogging should be spontaneous.. certainly not every day.. just when the need arises, or you WANT to.
You have a life, a family, friends and an outside world to enjoy and there is already an active community here that can cope with reading each others inspirations when you are not here. I think that part of this site is wonderful.
I have to say that I am in agreement with the few that mentioned the bold highlights of comments of others in messages. I realise that many are new here… but they must already know how great the place is by the activity and the comments by the community itself. Its not a review site after all, its a blog-space and to me at least, that is a different thing entirely.
I love this place and the way it works.. but want you and your husband to have a life too! You being fresh, devoted and happy in your work here, it was counts the most.. and you run the risk (over the years) of suffering ‘burn out’ otherwise.. and we wouldnt want that! At all!
So, you go for it.. even if it came down to three times a week…(or much less).. you would not find me complaining!
GOOD FOR YOU! Love Michelle x
I can not believe you have been able to keep up all this time.
You need your weekends off!
Don’t want to loose you to overload!
Enjoy the weekends :0)
Yours seems like a good plan. Hopefully this change will allow you and Doug to have more family time in addition to your plan to develop new posts/tutorials. Thank you for all you do!
Cheryl in Knoxville
I have to admit that I do not read your blog daily. I usually catch up on Friday after watching the weekly video. I get my fill once a week so I would not really miss your weekend input. You shouldn’t be working seven days a week anyway. When I do too much of the same thing, I begin to resent it. You need to enjoy what you are doing and you need to take a rest from it at least one day a week, hopefully two.
Janet in Visalia, CA
You work so hard Cindy. I hope you do go to 5 days. I hope you will try to get some family time in those two extra days. GO FOR IT!!!
Oh, Kat, your such a great person!!! It’s great hearing from you, too. You care about everyone in this community and that’s what makes it such a warm, welcoming, site to belong to. Everyone is great here, but you stand out. I know I’ll get back into it. I love claying and just have to get back into it. Thanks, Kat……..Honey
Family first! You deserve that and I think we all can only benefit from you having these days for yourself and family!
Also, I would love to see a stand alone tutorial on the lanyard project and also have you ever thought of doing one (tutorial) on the encased hearts I keep seeing and hearing about? They are really quite beautiful and unique.
Boy!!! That was a long blog!!!! There are a lot of new people!!! Way to go, Cindy and Doug……..Just goes to show you that you must be doing something very, very GREAT. All the talented and creative people that belong to this community will take over for you on the weekends because they love the both of you so much. My vote is yes without reserve. You both certainly deserve the weekend off. It must feel great to be loved by so many people. I haven’t been around for a while and haven’t been claying either so I have a lot of catching up to do. Love you Both, Honey
@Honey Sperring: Nice to see you, Honey! These weekends should give you a little extra time to catch up on your reading. We’ve missed you around here! Don’t wait too long to get back into claying, though. Just pick one project that looks fun and jump right in! ~Kat
I love reading all your blogs, but totally understand. Everyone needs some time off to rest and reassess. Thanks for all your support and wonderful new ideas.
I’m glad you decided to take the weekend off from blogging. You definitely need some time, and I hope you take it for yourself and your family.
Cindy I love your website. Friday has become an exciting gift day for me. The five day schedule would be find. But be careful to spend time with your husband and children outside of the clay. I know how consuming the clay can get, but we only come this way once. Enjoy your family.
Cindy ,i was just wondering how could you bear all this:)(to work 7 full days),(I think that an artist needs a lot of quiet time for developing their inspiration )Just didn’t know where to put the comment:) I am very happy you started to wonder about the same thing!
Cindy, you have to take the weekends off in order to recharge. If not, you’ll burn yourself out completely, and no one wants that to happen. Get some rest girl!
My weekends are crazy anyway so since I’m responding to this email about 9:00 on Monday night, my answer is pretty clear! Rest your brain, take a deep breath. We will survive!
Cindy, I think you should absolutely take the weekends off! Anybody who leaves home to go to their job has two days off, so why shouldn’t you? I would much rather see you take time off the blog than to get so “blogged” down that you no longer enjoy what your doing. You and Doug do all of us a great service, and the blog is like icing on the cake. I would much rather know that you are able to have time with your family than loosing out on things you may never see or do again. So go for it girl, don’t apologize, and don’t feel bad about it. Your first priority is to your family, not us clay junkies. Go. Have fun. Enjoy eachother. And NEVER feel bad about taking care of your family. We all love you and will be here Monday mornings ready to see what you have for us. If you want the honest truth, I rarely read the blog on the weekends because I’m too busy with MY family. Much love to you and Doug and your family.
sounds like a plan!- seems sensible to me
I’m just thankful that you do what you do for us clay enthusiasts!! If you think 5 days is better for you, then go ahead – I’m just thankful for what you put into your site! Even God took a day off – so do what you gotta do…and thanx again for sharing all of your knowledge!!
Cheryl W.
I say most of us like our weekends off so y not you… Take it off from the blog and do oher things…
You really need to take days off to do what you want to do as to not lose your private time with things YOU want to do as well. Before I was at home full time, I worked 70 or more hours every week for years. It took its toll on me and was not worth it. I was working so much that I lost track of me!!
The videos are my number 1 love about your work, but your ideas and inspirations, lessons, articles are what I like to do just to absorb in to my polymer clay world. I don’t believe any of us would miss those couple of days because you have so much information available 24/7.
I say go for it!
Cindy, I wondered if you would be able to refrain from stopping by and checking on the results before tomorrow. I am very pleased and happy for you and your family that it is official no Saturday or Sunday blogging for you. Maybe you need to make the rule read no blogging or visiting the blog. As I and everyone else expressed we just want what is best for you and your family. Thank you and your entire family for letting you give us all the time you have in the past. You and Doug are a great team who needs time off just like the rest of us.
Love and Uuuuuggggs, Peggy