The Art of Trying is my little corner of Her Campus at FSU, where I step outside my comfort zone and dive into something new, whether it’s a hobby, craft, class, or trend. I’ll explore what each experience has to offer, sharing all the highs and hiccups along the way. I hope to inspire you to take that first step toward the unfamiliar and experience the art of trying.
For as long as I can remember, the art of pottery and ceramics has been simply captivating to me. A few semesters ago, I joined a club where we spent time hand-building with clay. This was a nice introduction to working with this medium, but I longed to get my hands even dirtier by trying out the actual pottery wheel. So, after some digging around FSU’s endless websites and opportunities, I discovered the FSU Art Center.
The Art Center, housed on the bottom floor of FSU’s Student Union, offers a multitude of opportunities to embrace your creativity. They offer painting classes, pottery classes, and Paint-A-Pot, where you can choose from a variety of premade ceramics to paint. When I discovered their pottery classes, I immediately marked my calendar for the day registration would open, eager as ever.
My pottery class meets every Monday for six weeks, and with that comes open access to the studio. So, as long as there’s no class in session, you can work on whatever you want, whenever you want. So far, I’ve been to two classes, as well as one during open access. And, from what I’ve experienced thus far, pottery is no joke.
The Experience
Off the bat, I felt a bit overwhelmed, as our instructor overloaded us with information before we even touched our clay on the wheel. I questioned how I would remember everything he was saying, like what to do if this happens, which technique to use for this — it was a lot to take in.
After lengthy instruction, it was finally time to get our hands dirty. Every ceramic bowl, pot, vase, plate, dish, mug, and creation starts with a loud smack sound, caused by throwing the mound of clay down onto the wheel, while trying your best to aim for the center; every ceramic has to be centered or at least centered to the best of your ability.
Attempting to center the clay on the wheel was hard. I didn’t know if my wheel was spinning too fast or too slow, if I was applying enough pressure, or if I had enough water. After trying for a while, it seemed my fingers still danced around the spinning clay too much when they should be centered and smooth, gliding seamlessly.
This first class for me was less about creating something but more about learning and practice. There were a couple of times I had to scrape my wet clay off the wheel and spread it onto a slab of plaster to absorb some of the moisture, waiting before I could try again. Others in the class had the same struggle, which made me feel better.
I left the first class with less hope than I had when I walked in; pottery was a lot harder than it looks. That weekend, I decided to go to the studio during open access hours so I could practice more outside of class. Once again, I was just messing around with the clay, not focused on trying to create anything, but just trying to see what I could improve on. I spent a couple of hours trying, then trying again.
By the second class, and after the second lengthy instruction, I was surprised to discover I was already doing a lot better. It wasn’t nearly as hard to center the clay on the wheel as it once was. During this class, I ended up making not one, but two bowls! If you had told me during week one that by week two, I’d make two bowls, I would’ve felt a lot of relief and even been a little impressed with myself.
Tips for Beginners
My first tip is not to lose hope, as good things take time. It’s perfectly okay if you struggle to make anything other than a wet blob of clay for a while; it’s simply a learning experience. My second tip is to wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Luckily, most pottery studios will have aprons to use, but even so, clay can and will fly everywhere, so play it safe.
My third tip is not to be afraid of water. I think that part of the reason I struggled during the first class was that the clay would dry out, my hands would start sticking, and suddenly, the clay would decenter and fall over. Make sure to keep a substantial bucket of water next to you at the wheel; a little water never hurt anyone.
In the end, pottery may not be easy, but that might just be part of its charm and appeal. I’m only a couple of weeks into my pottery class, but I’m excited for all the clay, slipping, and scoring I have ahead of me. The time I’ve spent in the studio has reinforced to me that, like many things in life, progress doesn’t come from perfection, but from persistence — from the art of trying.
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