Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the empty pottery studio. Sarah ran her hand over a half-finished vase, its rough surface failing to provide any satisfaction. She had lost her enthusiasm for the craft, the endless cycle of shaping and firing feeling more like a chore than a creative pursuit. The air in the studio felt heavy with unspoken discontent.

She checked her email, clicking through the usual notifications. She paused, her fingers hovering over a promotional newsletter from a local art gallery. It featured a new collection of ceramic mugs, vibrant and modern. The design… the glaze… it was a perfect replica of her "Crimson Sunrise" series, a design she had painstakingly developed years ago. The new artist had renamed them "Sunset Swirls". A wave of something akin to nausea washed over her.