22 Jan, 2009
Pottery, creativity, and a slight course correction
Posted by andrea tomkins in: Easy ways to make kids happy|File under crafty|Misc. life
Family pottery class started last week. It’s a great class. The girls have taken pottery at this place before. The instructor is the best. He’s very supportive and encouraging. Sarah was thrilled to return, especially since I was going to be there as well.
I have to admit, it was tough. Creatively, technically … I felt like a bit of a dunce. First night was a little trying, second night I drew a total blank.
The class is 90 minutes long. You get some clay, use of some tools, a bit of instruction, and lots of time to experiment. I have been at bit a loss.
For now it’s all hand-forming. I haven’t come up with anything really good, and by good I mean beautiful and useful.
We’re working up to the pottery wheel. When that time comes I’d really like to make a bowl with a spout like this one.)
So far I’ve made three small toadstool garden “stakes” (sort of like this) and a small white bird. That was the first class. The second class I mucked around, painted the things I made the week before and destroyed everything I started to make with a big squish of my fist.
Sarah just cranked it out. She made a half-dozen items her first week, none of which actually exploded in the kiln. I was so surprised and pleased with her creativity and excitement. She made things I wouldn’t dream of: clay glasses, a little clay “radio”, the list goes on and on. Emma did some neat stuff too. She made a fairy path for the garden and a planter with a big funny face on the front of it. (Don’t ask me where we’re going to put all these little things! Bridge.Cross.Later.)
Right now I’m gathering ideas so I don’t show up unprepared next week.
To tell you the truth, I really thought I would enjoy this class.
Something is amiss. I’ve been feeling empty, and need to fill myself up again. And to do this I think I need to engage in creative projects. And that’s the real point of this post.
I want to use this blog to document some of the creative projects we do around here. I used to do a lot of that. What happened?
I feel like me n’ the Fishbowl need a little freshening up, you know what I mean? I would love your input.
