Oh yeah, that's a solid move. I mean, I started doing the same thing after I messed up some maple last fall. A card scraper gets the rest off way easier too.

Ugh, totally feel this. Like @river_foster47 said, you have to mix it in. I started making my dog do a solid "wait" before the tunnel entrance or a random "down" in the middle of our backyard jump set. It felt silly to stop the fun, but it reminded him that the basic rules still apply everywhere. We even practiced a simple "come" right after the zoomies of a fast run.

Honestly, apps don't have to ruin the fun if you choose to ignore the stats. You could use them just to map your route and then focus on the breeze. Finding a middle ground lets you keep the joy without ditching the tech.

That "mime trapped me in an invisible box" line is too real. I had a similar moment in Barcelona with the human statues on Las Ramblas. I was trying to finish an email, but one performer was just so still I had to stop and watch. I finally set a 15-minute timer on my phone, let myself be fully distracted, and then the alarm brought me right back to my laptop. It felt like a mini-vacation.

Beyond the immediate loss, consider the environmental toll of rushed ceramic work. Every cracked bowl from forced drying represents wasted clay, water, and kiln energy. Clients often don't realize that a bisque fire alone consumes enough electricity to power a household for hours. Setting boundaries isn't just about art, it's about sustainable practice. When you explain the resource cost, even impatient customers tend to back off.