Beginning Beginner Pottery Lessons

Coming full circle

Summer is officially over, although it has felt like that here in the Netherlands for some weeks now. Almost like it never really got started this year. There were some gorgeous days sprinkled amongst a lot of cool, cloudy, or rainy weather. At least now those types of days feel appropriate and I am starting to feel ready for the darker, cozier evenings, and more inward reflection that fall and winter bring.

Fall, for me, is the most nostalgic of seasons. In some ways it feels like this is when the year starts up, due to decades of “new school year energy.” But the flora says differently. The leaves are just starting to change color and make the sidewalks crunchier, the garden I volunteer at has shifted most of it’s energy to the harvest, and my balcony garden has seen better days. The energy I threw into it that came so naturally in the spring and summer has faded, biding it’s time until it can unleash itself once again.

During the summer I did not do too much traveling. I maximized my time closer to home in the studio. I have been trying to build back up to the level of production I had at the end of my time in New Mexico, but it is slow going. There is more to the set-up process than I thought, with finding new clays, testing everything rigorously, and working out how to schedule time in the studio during my week along with all my other activities and work. I do believe I am throwing and creating with more intention and a more critical eye for detail and form. It is also nice to sit with the knowledge that I have time to build everything up here (again). I don’t have the stress-productivity of having only limited time before I move.

The biggest new thing I did in the summer is begin teaching beginner pottery lessons! I already have a few under my belt with as many more to come as demand will allow, which I do not expect to be an issue. There seems to be a hole in the market in this regard, even though Groningen is a decently sized city at almost 250,000 residents. It’s really been amazing to start this up. Before the first class I thought I would be more nervous as I had never taught fully alone before and it had been over a year since I had done it in New Mexico, but I was surprisingly calm and just excited to share the world of clay with new people. The first group was so lovely and reminded me why I fell down this rabbit hole in the first place. The properties of clay, the process of throwing, the constant circular spinning motion of the wheel, it’s really quite meditative. After the initial hubbub of demoing and going through the steps again with everyone on their own wheels, there comes a point when I realize everyone is in the zone and I can sit back and let everyone be. This is one of my favorite moments.

At the end of the day, being in this creative flow state is the real benefit. Sure, taking home one of their creations is validating, but I do think the bigger benefit for everyone is to take their minds off of their minds for a few hours, to reconnect with their body and hands, to get messy and fail a lot and realize this is okay. In our modern day world so many people are deeply attached to screen life, whether out of necessity at work or anxiously doom-scrolling after a long day. A lot of people have lost touch with this playful, creative being that sits inside every one of us, either through lack of opportunity or a belief that they are “not creative people,” which is simply not true. Anyone who wants to create, can. Ultimately, I hope to reconnect people with the side of themselves and provide lightness and fun.

That’s all I have for you this time around. Enjoy the following photos of some completed works from the summer and keep on creating!

The SouthWest Deco cocktail mugs. A commission from a friend. They have been tested and work well :)

The rainbow snails! I had made quite a few “extra” pots when making the SW mugs. These I turned into planters. I can’t wait to see them with baby plants.

And lastly, my rebuttal to people calling pigeons “rats with wings,” which I find offensive to both rats and pigeons.