I've given lessons to several people touching clay for the first time. Its always fun watching someone see what clay in motion feels like for the first time. I thought I'd share a couple tips I give to the beginners. I've discovered that even you don't have a pottery lesson on the horizon, several of these tips can be used in everyday life as well.
1. Slooooow down. Putting the pottery wheel pedal to the medal is quite tempting and easy to do. The power feels cool. The clay goes fast! But, centrifugal force will pull the walls of your pot out, and eventually they will rip or fall flat on the wheel. Human nature and the rat race we tend to find ourselves in everyday tends to draw us to speed. We rush through things so fast sometimes they fall over because of our carelessness. Clay needs some speed but mainly steady, consistent rotations. And you can't replace the value of sometimes just slowing it down and taking your time.
2. You can't force it. Have you ever tried to convince someone of something in one blatant statement? Its often more effective to reveal your point of view piece by piece, bit by bit rather than forcing it down their throat. That's exactly what works with the clay as well. To form a pot, the goal is to form a ball of clay into a hollow form with walls. To make these walls, you have to pull them up. Walls have to be built in multiple pulls. Some pulls gain more height than others, but its the collection of different pulls working together that gradually build the height of your pot. In the beginning, you have to learn patience.
3. Just let it go. It's not perfect. Your pot is handmade. Those are basically synonymous depending on your definition of perfect. Those just starting out have such grandiose ideas of what their creation(s) will turn out to be and simply cannot stop editing their piece at the end. This often leads to destruction, over anyalization and lost time and perspective. Knowing when you're finished and that it is time to let go is key.
4. Sometimes it doesn't work out. First time potters look so hurt if their mud ends up in a defeated wad on the wheel head. But that's pottery. Maybe it was rushed or forced or over analyzed and just needed to crumble up so you could learn from your mistake. Or maybe the clay just wasn't good. It happens- don't take it personal. Take a breath and...
5. Try again. Sometimes things just go better when you consider what went wrong the previous time, and sit down for a fresh start. Learning to make pots takes repetition and the ability to stick to it when things go awry.
6. Just because it didn't turn out exactly as you plan, doesn't mean its wrong. More often than not when I finish a piece it doesn't match the original plan. Then I have to refer to #3 and look at it a new way. Then, its kinda cool because it was unexpected. I've learned a lot from things taking a turn of their own and come up with some cool, really different pieces. Learning this really takes the pressure off.
So, pretty much with anything in life, don't take making a pot so seriously. But, above all else, simply keep at it. Soon enough, things will start to fall into place and you'll end up having a lot of fun along the way.
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