Pottery Class and Personal Growth
I learned more than just how to centre my clay on the wheel and pull up the walls to make a cylinder.
Glazing, before and after firing!
Have you ever fallen down the rabbit hole of pottery-making videos online?
One clip catches your eye and you watch it until the end, and then another starts… and then another. And after watching an hour+ of pottery videos, you don’t have a single mug or bowl or vase to show for it? But seriously, I just think it’s so neat to watch a time-lapse of someone turning a blob into a beautiful vase. It really is such a skill and takes a lot of practice (and they make it look so easy!) And that’s one of the reasons why I finally signed up to learn how to throw pottery.
Trying my hand at new shapes.
Learning to throw on the wheel had been on my mind for a few years, but that’s all it was – a thought. Thankfully, putting together my seasonal bucket list back in October pushed me into action and I signed up for a 6-week class, which I just finished the other week. It felt really good to go into the studio and spend a few hours making things out of a lump of clay. I made a few basic cylinders and bowls, mostly wobbly shapes, and some surprisingly symmetrical pieces.
I made a few items for myself (a vase, a bowl, and a little serving dish), and I attempted to make a few gifts for family, which all fired nicely! I wasn’t able to make any matching items, so I will have to try in my next class. I signed up for another 6-week course in the New Year and I’m very excited to continue practicing and getting better and more consistent. Even though I ended up making some decent looking pieces, I really want to get better and conquer the next step – pushing past the beginner’s luck and challenging myself to create multiples.
Some pieces drying and waiting to be bisque fired in the kiln.
Awaiting glazes.
This feels a bit unlike me (signing up for a second round), as I would normally stop after trying it once. I find that I pick new things up reasonably quickly (especially hands-on creative things) and once I do, I move on to the next thing. Anyone else do that?? Once I prove to myself that I can reasonably do something, I tend to move onto something new. I don’t usually stick to something, practice, and hone my skills – I just conquer and move on. Maybe that’s the wrong wording, since I feel like I don’t really get past the basics, but I think it explains my approach.
Do I want to be a jack of all trades, a master of none? I don’t know if I do. So I’ve decided that I am going to try and not jump around so much. I’ve started giving myself 30-day art challenges so I can work on consistently making art in my spare time, and I’ve signed up for a second round of pottery classes. I want to change my approach, improve my skills, and maybe one day make my own art to sell. You never know! Now that I am so much more aware of this tendency, I want to figure out a way to work past it, and I think this is a good place to start.
What is your approach to learning and mastering new things?
Glazed and waiting to be fired.
Finished pieces!
Stay tuned in the New Year for some progress reporting on my pottery and personal growth. :)
Hello! Catherine here.
I’m a Vancouver-based interior designer and love all things creative! I’ll be sharing things that inspire me, posting design tips and DIY projects, chatting about all kinds of topics, and hopefully inspiring some people to make little changes at home to create an environment that is functional, beautiful, and a perfect reflection of you!
