Things I have learned in a warm pottery studio;
I value things that require workmanship. Truly everything has its own energy, and something a human poured labor, love & craftsmanship into will provide more joy then something mass manufactured from a machine. I would love knowing the farmers who made the food, inside a bowl in which I know the maker, sitting on a table in which was sanded by a hardworking hand. A daily way to trace back and give gratitude to the source.
Pottery makes me a more generous person. I have never been a person who enjoys giving gifts. I am not a material person and have always felt things have weight so I never wanted to burden people with stuff. But while we are certainly filling our cupboards and shelves with some of my creations it became obvious very quickly that I would be giving some away. And I have come to find that it isn't at all about the thing itself. Whether my piece forever sits on their shelves or gets a sticker on it at a garage sale to be given to the next person, it is that care and love I am gifting. A small gift as a way of sharing how I feel for them.
I love the mess. I mean lets be honest, I already knew this one. If you did one of those word maps of my blog I am certain mess and imperfections would be big and bold. I am constantly telling couples I want to capture what is real and imperfect and meaningful on their wedding day. The interesting new insight pottery gave me was turning the mirror on my own business philosophy. While I was busy telling my couples not to stress about their wedding days being perfect, I certainly was not extending that grace on my own photography work. Walking into my wedding season I realized I was placing an unbelievably high expectation on myself to capture every wedding perfectly. While that is good in theory (because obviously I want to give my couples the best possible photos) the problem with demanding perfection is that it closes off the opportunity to take some creative risks and continue to grow. Picking up this new creative outlet reminded me that you have to continue to push yourself, get messy, make some mistakes, and probably make a couple things that aren't as pretty (like a coffee mug with way to small of handle!) in order to continue learning.
I want to continue seeking things that open me up. Simply put, the warmth this pottery studio has brought to my heart extends so much farther then the cupboard now filled with bowls.
