A Very Large Kiln

Firing an anagama kiln is an amazing feat of patience and hark work: Becca Van Fleet Wood-Firing. Thinking about that makes me feel foolish for being hesitant to fire a simple gas reduction kiln. Really I would love to take a class or workshop on firing kilns. Though I was encouraged to fire them on my own, I don't feel I was really given a push or instruction on it and I've always felt timid about firing. I do what the professor or the previous firing schedule tells me to do, but I don't know why I do this or that and I don't have the greatest memory to repeat it without looking at the schedule again. I've always been more interested in making the piece than firing it. I feel like I should get one part down before I try to figure out another, but I think that's just an excuse...