I recently had the opportunity to try out a pottery wheel, as a family friend graciously lent me a wheel. After watching some demos and instructional videos on youtube, I felt pretty confident I’d be pumping out beautifully sculpted pots and mugs and plates in no time flat.
Um, yeah, no. But they make it look so easy! Nope, not easy at all. Maybe for some it is, but my first tries left me with nothing but a pile of mushy, lopsided, dysfigured clay.
What went wrong? First off, my clay was too old, hard and unworkable. Next, I seemed to lack the zen focus or strength required just to center the clay, much less mold it into something usable.
I softened the clay that I had, wedged (or kneaded) it as well as I could, and tried again. I did manage to get it centered after a few tries with softer clay, then ran into another problem.
I couldn’t stop messing with it! As soon as I had something that resembled a bowl, I should have stopped. KNOWING WHEN TO STOP is of utmost importance here. My first attempt at a beautiful bowl once again turned into a smushed pile of goo.
At this point my respect for wheel throwers has grown, while my confidence has shrank.
Then my 8-year-old daughter says “it’s easy mom, I’ll show you how to do it.”
Has she ever used a wheel before? No. Does her blind confidence in her ability to show me up irritate me? Maybe a little, yes, but I try to be encouraging anyway.
Sure enough, I help her center the clay and she takes her time, measuring each movement, and comes out with a bowl that looks like a bowl.
If At First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again
“Failing forward” is a principle to embrace when it comes to clay. Although my initial attempts at the wheel went horribly, I’m glad I did not give up. As with all things, it’s a matter of practice, patience, and a dash of grit. When I was about to give up and say the wheel is not for me, I tried ONE MORE TIME and found that what I made was better than the last thing I made, and that with each iteration, I felt more comfortable, more in control, and more excited by the possibilities.
Conclusion
Have you tried a wheel before? What was your experience? Schedule a private wheel throwing session today!
