We took classes at Creava School for the Arts, and I have to say, if you’re a Springfield, MO local and interested in pottery, I highly recommend you check it out. They even offer date night events. 🙂
I think as I was taking this pottery class I was reminded about a few different ideas that I just sometimes forget, so I thought I’d share.
-Try new things. It’s so fun! It’s totally fine to not be an expert.
-Creativity is all about making mistakes, messes and learning. My little pots are FAR from perfect, but I love them and had fun making them. And sometimes, that’s totally enough.
-Good craftsmanship is important, but it comes with time. Our teacher stressed craftsmanship and proper technique, and I’m a big fan of learning to do things the “right way.” But I also think often we learn the rules so we can break them, but that means you have to know the rules first! And also, good work takes time. If you’re not happy with something you make one day, there’s always tomorrow. I often get discouraged when I feel like everything I do has to be A+ all the time or else I’m a hack. Which is a lot of pressure to constantly deal with. I think I should move my focus to putting in an A+ effort, and if the work doesn’t turn out perfect every time, well, I guess I’m just human. Oh well. 🙂
-Making stuff is fun. Like, really fun. It was such a relief to get off work on Thursday nights and just go do something with my hands. Just getting out of my head sometimes is good for me I think.
Anyway, thanks for letting me share my pottery and some random thoughts with you all this weekend. Hope you’re having a great one! xo. Emma
Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
48 Comments
Making pottery is my favourite thing to do, especially as a child.
What’s in my handbag 2015 + CARTIER GIVEAWAY
I have been dying to take a pottery class….the local potter just moved and is not set up yet for classes. 🙁
Debbi
I like it 🙂 great job!
Pottery is something I would love to try one day! I love how your turned out … I would never know that a beginner made them … I love that about pottery. 🙂
You actually did a great job! I have never done pottery but my best friend owns her own pottery studio. I’m pretty impressed with your work as a newbie.
I love the designs you did too!
Kristin // The Peculiar Treasure
athisfeetdaily.blogspot.com
These are all SO beautiful. You did a great job – natural born talent, I’m pretty sure 🙂
xo,
♥ Emily
http://www.emmadeer.com
These turned out beautiful. I can totally imagine to try that too.
These are lovely! The class sounds fun (: I like that you talked about getting discouraged when feeling like everything has to be ‘its best.’ I took a pottery class some years back and I remember feeling the same way. It was hard! But ceramics was also pretty freeing because I realized that I can make stuff that isn’t what I visualized and struggle with something, and it will still be totally fine.
Thanks for sharing Emma (:
Thanks for this post… some really great advice on creating! Love how your finished products turned out. They all match!
I’m so in love with these pieces you made! They have the perfect amount of imperfections 🙂 My husband and I love collecting handmade ceramics. They give our dishware such rustic charm! Looks like you girls had fun taking the class 🙂
Circus & Bloom
♥♥♥
I’m so in love with these pieces you made! They have the perfect amount of imperfections 🙂 My husband and I love collecting handmade ceramics. They give our dishware such rustic charm! Looks like you girls had fun taking the class 🙂
Circus & Bloom
♥♥♥
Great post I love all of the cups!
I love the little set you’ve created! With pottery, I think the imperfections are what give the creations personality. Store bought stuff is never this cool. My aunt used to do pottery like this. I’ll treasure those pieces forever. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to try some day. Thanks for sharing! It is encouraging to see people share their experiments!
Hi Emma,
They are so very beautiful!
Have a great weekend.
How fun! I did a bit of poetry in an art class I took a few semesters ago, but we didn’t get to use a wheel and I’ve been dying to try it!
-Rae
studentsandstyle,wordpress.com
(Check out my page for my latest post on some cute handmade cards I made for my students 🙂
Looks like so much fun! http://www.hannamarielei.com
These pieces turned out really lovely! I’ve always wanted to take a pottery class.
Love it! Very nice post!
Waw that is so cool!
I’d love to try it, but I’m not sure there’s some place to do that nearby..
I’m going to search the web for it 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
x
Feel free to read about my new DIY
losingstruggle.blogspot.com
Wow your pieces turned out great! I recently tried a pottery class in NYC I also wrote about it on my blog, please check it out and tell me what you think, http://www.talkingwithtiffany.com/pottery-class/.
Thanks!
Tiffany Lauren Mason
http://www.TalkingwithTiffany.com
Great advice on creating!! Thank you!!
http://pinchblack.blogspot.com
It’s always great to try something new! I’ve always wanted to try out pottery, I really like the finishes you’ve chosen for your pieces! 🙂 x
This is so cool! I love the polkadots. 🙂
Sophia
http://someplaceinthemidst.blogspot.com
This is so cool! l took a pottery class with my dad when I was really little and we still have a lot of the things we made. Yours look much better than mine did! I’d love to try this again now that I’m older and a little more detail-oriented. 😉
cool
http://www.modeography.com/2015/03/kimono-dress/
How fascinating! I’ve always wanted to try pottery lessons, but never got to actually do it. I might someday, though. Totally agree about craftsmanship and time. As a girl who likes to make art and create things I also know how that could be!
These look lovely, by the way. Thanks for sharing!
THOUGHTS IN TIFFANY BLUE
This makes me want to get out and (messily) make something! Thanks for sharing!
Oh wow I love these, they look really vintage 🙂
http://inspiremeland.com
Betty
So nice. Good job,. xa
http://www.fashiondenis.com
Oh, an other experience to add to my to-do list:-)
Trying something new has been my moto the last years.It’s great challenging ourselves on new things. 4 years ago I started crafting brcause I was so burnt out of work (I’m a teacher) and I wanted to do something totally different. So, I put into effect skills (knitting and chochet) my mum had taught me when I was a little girl, I also bought a sewing machine and started making small projects! Crafting is my passion now! And since last I’ve been learning the cello! so hard work! But i love it! So, let’s try new things!
I completely agree about the positives trying new things and about part of creativity being making mistakes! My mum is a potter and pottery teacher in the UK and her students have produced some amazing things just by giving it a go.
http://www.rubysharppottery.co.uk/index.html
I really love these Emma. I used to be all about the fine china and delicate patterns, but my tastes have recently changed and I’m getting more and more into chunky design tableware and I think that chunky paired with monochrome is spot on 🙂
i think you just put a thing on my ‘have to do again this year’ list! i did a pottery class in my childhood and seeing your awesome stuff reminds me of all the fun it was!
I loved this post. Your pieces are beautiful! I like the imperfection and surprises that come with creating, personally. I used to do pottery when I was in high school and had access to a kiln. I miss it so much! I’ve been thinking about taking classes here in Nashville soon. I suppose this blog post is a sign telling me to do it! 😉
Adorable…I love them!
Love Yourself First
I’ve had “take a pottery class” on my list forever. Put it on my 39 before 40 list this year to make sure I finally hit it! Knowing 40 is coming is a good motivator to get things in, something about finally doing some things I want to do before a big date marker is motivating.
pottery is my passion! I’m doing it every week =)
NASTYADRAMA.ru
I’d love to paint my own pottery, it’s something I really want to get round to doing <3
I recently read an article that said, that doing new things as an adult reduces the feeling of time passing faster the older we get:
Our brain saves especially new things as memories. These memories create some kind of time-structure in our brains. So, as we´re doing a lot of routine stuff in our adult life, we lack those “new-learned-memory-marks”. That´s why a regular week often kind of disapears from our memory. As children we learned new things almost constantly and created a lot of “memory-marks”, that´s why children don´t know this “time-rushing-feeling”.
So doing something new is fun AND good for our mental health – yay! 😉
Thank you so much for this post! The pottery class sounds like it was a whole lot of fun, and I appreciate you sharing (no tutorial needed). 🙂
These are so beautiful! I always loved throwing on the wheel in high school – one of my dreams one day is to have a wheel!
This post makes me miss Springfield, MO so much! I just moved from there after finishing undergrad at MOState’s painting program and the posts are always another reminder of how cool that city is. And theres so much for the arts lover! Im sure you check out the First Friday art walks, but if you don’t you totally should, Springfield has awesome local talent!~ By the way i totally adore you gals and this blog! I will have to find a pottery place in my new town and make some mugs and bowls as well!~ Alexis Rivierre http://www.alexisrivierre.com
omg so cute!!
Love these pieces! I honestly find them much more beautiful than porcelain.
– rocionaval.blogspot.com x
these are all so cute!
xx nikki
http://www.dream-in-neon.com
Oh girls! Pottery is a huge love of mine!! May I say that you are absolutely right when you say that creating is all about mistakes? I find myself being really nervous and disappointed in front of mistakes. But some minutes later I realize that this is the only way to learn!
xoxo
Happy mug making!!
I started making pottery 3 years ago while I was feeling pretty low and having a hard time in my life. It helped me comtrol my anxiety (you cant thing of anything else while trowing! Its magic!) and I’m obsessed! I’m going to start to sell my coffee mugs and tea bowls on ETSY soon. Who knows where it will lead me 🙂 PS: I wish my ceramic center would offer date nights haha thats cute!