On Valentine’s Day this year, I went on a blind date. Okay, now that I’ve hopefully caught your attention, I’m using the term “blind date” pretty loosely. There were (thankfully) no side-hugs or awkward conversations about splitting the bill. My blind date was not with a person but rather with an activity: wheel throwing pottery.
One of my closest friends is an art major, so she had been raving about how much she loves her studio art classes for weeks. When she heard about a nearby pottery studio, she suggested that we take an introductory wheel throwing class together on Valentine’s Day.
After finishing my first pottery experience alongside two of my best friends, I can confidently say that my wheel throwing class at Good Dirt LA made for the best Valentine’s Day ever. So if you’re feeling crafty, I would highly recommend giving wheel throwing pottery a shot. Before you sign up for your first class, here are a few things you should keep in mind:
- Be on time
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The Good Dirt LA studio is super close to UCLA, but horrendous LA traffic brings the drive to around 30 minutes. Especially if you are taking an afternoon class, rush hour traffic can sometimes stretch the drive out even longer. Our class was scheduled for 4pm, and we were still 2ish minutes late despite leaving at 3:15pm!
Because you jump right into crafting, showing up on time maximizes your time spent working on your ceramic creations. If you’re not taking a private class, you also don’t want to make the others wait to start. Most importantly, you don’t want to feel frazzled from running late and mess up your pottery-making flow!
- Pay attention to Allllll of the Instructions
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Movie characters make wheel throwing look like a breeze (looking at you, Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze in Ghost). In reality, using a pottery wheel for the first time is actually reallyyyyyyy tricky.
Luckily, the instructors are there to guide you through each step of the way. Our instructor taught us all of the basic pottery techniques and paying close attention to her step-by-step directions helped me have a relaxing and fun experience. With her guidance, we were each able to complete two unique, handmade pottery pieces by the end of our two hour class.
- Be Patient With Yourself
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Remember how I said wheel throwing is harder than it looks? Going into the class, I secretly thought pottery-making would somehow come naturally to me. I quickly discovered that I was in a beginner’s class for a reason: I obviously was (and honestly still am) a beginner.
If you’re an overachieving perfectionist like me, it can be hard to feel like you’re not getting good at something automatically. With that being said, it is important to stay patient and open-minded throughout your first pottery class and let go of your expectations. The studio really is a judgment-free zone, so stop comparing yourself to others and start celebrating your own personal best!
Once I gave myself the freedom to make mistakes while learning how to use the wheel, I found myself enjoying the class even more (laughing with my friends definitely helped a whole lot, too). After all, the “imperfections” in your pottery pieces are what give them character!
- Have Fun!
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This one seems obvious, but remember to have fun during the class! You’re not just there to learn a new skill — you’re also there to enjoy yourself! A pottery class is a great opportunity to bond with your friends or partner, and you’ll definitely make some great memories while crafting together.
Tired of your usual weekend plans? Think about switching things up and sign up for an Intro to Wheel Throwing Class at Good Dirt LA! I promise you’ll have a WHEEL-y good time.