This week I finally got the chance to get back in the studio and it has made everything better. Art is an amazing expression and release of emotion that makes everything in the world feel right and balanced and stable once again. Any time I feel stressed, being able to make something just makes me feel so good!
I am the president of the Vincennes University Ceramics Club and this past week we had our first meeting. Walking into the studio that night, I didn't know what to expect. It turned out great! We had a ton of new members including an adorable little six-month-old future artist. The group was made of art majors as well as people who just enjoy art.
The first order thing we did was discuss the business of the club including the pottery sale we host every year, trips we want to take, and the requirements to be in the club, to contribute three pieces of work to the sale. Then we also discussed what other things members of the club would like to do. We had some great ideas like having a soup and bowl sale for charity.
After dealing with the club business we taught the newbies how to make clay. Some people do not realize that when you go into a studio like the one on campus you typically make your clay. and what this means is you literally take dry material and mix it in specific ratios with water to form clay. I love this because i literally take dry earth and turn it into beautiful, or at least what I consider to be, beautiful pieces.
After the clay was made we asked the group what they wanted to learn and naturally everyone wanted to get on the wheel and learn how to throw. The faculty adviser and I began throwing on the wheel and demonstrating how to do so. I had originally not intended to do throw that night but I am very glad I did because it is so amazingly calming and relaxing. That studio is my happy place. And I love sharing it and showing people how to make pottery on their own so that they can experience the calm too. The problem is that making pottery in this way can be very challenging and it can cause some people to be frustrated especially at fist.
The thing that most people tend to forget when it comes to art, no one was amazing overnight. you can be good and have natural talent but the way to prefect it and to become amazing is to practice. and practice means trying and it can mean failing but when you fail you have to grab a new ball of clay and try again. Art is about experimenting and finding what works for you.
As my professor and I sat side-by-side showing the members of the club how to throw, you could see that we do not do it the same. She is the one who taught me how but yet in the years since i have developed my own ways of doing things that work well for me, but do not work for her.
If you want to relax I suggest art. If you get frustrated, keep going. Eventually you will find your medium and your way of working with it. I was lucky and found my medium quickly.
