I’ve been working on my technical skills for some time. Slowly, I’m starting to see incremental growth. Yesterday, I looked up when I first started working with clay. It was a year and half ago! Seems like much shorter for some reason. It started around March 2025, when I took my first series of workshops at Woodlawn. Little did I know at that time that this hobby will blossom into something way more serious.
Once of the skills that eludes me is being able to be proficient at throwing. After three series of workshops, I needed time to practice on my own. That eventually lead me to taking more classes. This time at Toronto Potters, where I focused primary on throwing better. With the patient teachings of Natalie Waddell, my skills have gotten stronger. We did in-depth step-by-step to understand how things work and why we do them. The concept and ability to decipher characteristics of a well-made pot has finally taken root. There’s still lots of room for improvement and practice but I’m feeling a bit more confident day by day.
Some very zen take away so far is that there are no short cuts. Glossing over any of the foundation steps from wedging the clay to taking the time to centre will all somehow come back and haunt you. Slow down and do things right. Don’t be afraid to start over. Don’t be too attached to your work. The attachment one was very hard to put into practice. Teachers and experienced potters tell you that ALL THE TIME. I realized the more skillful you are, the easier it is to detach. Knowing you can always make another one, sets you free. Having said this, I think it’s time to find new homes for some of these bowls.