Last summer a friend wanted to take pottery lessons so I reached out to Danielle at Thrown Together Pottery & Art. I had pondered pottery lessons before so it seemed like a great time to give it a try. It’s laughable to think about now, but I was originally slightly hesitant to sign up because I would need to commit one day each week, for eight weeks to the course. It’s laughable because since I took the plunge I haven’t stopped taking classes since.
Here are six positive impacts I’ve discovered while experimenting with pottery.
1.) Creating pottery is humbling: I didn’t expect to be a superstar but I felt I’d catch on quick and be able to make mugs, plates and exactly what I’ve envisioned. That didn’t happen. But I have learned to let go of expectations, to become flexible with my plans, to yield to the clay, and to turn a flopped mistake into something creative and lovely.
2.) Creating is soothing: There are so many repetitive movements: smashing the clay, wedging it, centering, watching the wheel spin. There’s something meditative about the repetition. 
3.) Infinite possibilities: There are endless shapes to be created, then endless ways you can embellish what you created and endless glazes to choose from to colour your creation. You can make anything. You can alter it in any way you please. I can’t even find the words to explain how many possibilities there are. You get to express yourself.
4.) You’re continually learning: Paired with my above reason, because there are so many possibilities you can also keep learning new methods, new styles, new shapes, new glazes, new carving techniques, exploring new tools. You can find a niche and stick with it, or you can keep dipping your toe into all the different waters.
5.) Quiet the mind: Since you’re so focused on your creating, and it’s very immersive, you brain quiets down awhile.
6.) It’s social in a low key way: I like gathering with other people in a quiet setting. You socialize a bit, you have people nearby, you get to see what they’re creating and how- but it’s also mostly quiet. I like that.
Pottery is such a multi-step process. You create things, they dry a bit, you make sure you like it, make any fixes, then it gets fired which makes it all white. Then you get to glaze it. Then it gets fired again. I love it, all the way through.
Check out more of my creations here
As a beginner pottery explorer, I have hand crafted these perfectly imperfect creations. Expect that there may be rough bottom finishes, tiny cracks, slanted shapes and offset weight in these ceramics making them truly one of a kind!
- View a video of all incense burners and bowls/plates to get an idea of shape, size, and a full view of them.
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