Blog #6 

    Wow, it is hard to believe that we have hit the halfway mark of the semester. I always feel time moves slowly in the moment and then so fast when looking back at what has passed. Knowing that I have done my occupation for half of the semester already puts into perspective how fast time goes. It also makes me think about the progress I have made thus far in my project but also the progress I have made in my skill level. Reflecting on how hard it was for me manipulate the clay when I first began my occupation, I remember working on forming a simple pinch pot for about two hours in order to make one I found satisfactory. Now I am confident that my basic skills have improved greatly, and I can use basic techniques far more effectively than when I began my occupation. As far as considering my occupation in regard to engagement vs performance I think that I am about at the same level as I was a few weeks ago. For me, the possible shift from engagement to performance will probably be pretty slow and I could see it taking years to fully shift to placing more value on occupational performance. There are a multitude of reasons for this, one being that I simply don’t spend the amount of time in the craft shop I would need to in order to progress faster. Going into the craft shop for a few hours each week, which is all I have found I have time for, is just enough to make some progress on my current project and slowly improve on my skills. If I had the time to spend at the craft shop I think I would shift much faster into occupational performance. Another reason I have not yet shifted into the occupational performance area quite yet is the basic difficulty behind my occupation. It takes years and years to fully master pottery, because there is lots of detail work involved and many many steps. Eventually, I hope to have spent enough time to classify potter in the occupational performance category but as of now, I simply enjoy engaging in my new occupation. 

 

    When considering the idea of occupational deprivation in regard to my new occupation, I do see the potential for contextual restrictions impeding on my engagement. Looking at the context surrounding my occupation there are many environmental factors that influence my ability to practice pottery. For instance, the idea of going to the craft shop in general is a large outside factor that without my occupational engagement would most definitely suffer. At my old undergraduate university, I had wanted to continue my hobby of ceramics that I started in high school. However, they did not allow just anyone to use their facilities. This university required that I be an art major to use their version of a craft shop. After experiencing environmental factors such as this I am grateful for the openness of ISUs craft shop allowing me to engage in my occupation. I think that, in the very beginning when I didn’t have anywhere to do my occupation immediately after high school, I did experience slight occupational deprivation. Another contextual factor that could impede my ability to perform my occupation would be my own personal factors. An example of this that I thought of would be looking into the future my joint and hand function/mobility. Ceramics requires a lot of use of the hand and ability to squeeze tools and clay to manipulate your craft. If my joints were effected by any number of medical conditions this would be a personal contextual restriction influencing my ability to perform my occupation and in turn result in occupational deprivation.