Realized my old pottery dream after a chance visit to a studio in Austin

I always wanted to be a potter but thought I had no talent. Last month I walked into Mudhouse Studio in Austin just to look around. The owner let me try the wheel for 10 minutes and my first bowl came out lopsided but functional. That little success made me see I was just scared of failing, not actually bad at it. Has anyone else tried a hobby they assumed they'd be terrible at and surprised themselves?

3 comments

3 Comments

lilyp371mo ago

@jenny47 I feel like people turn pottery into this big emotional thing when really it's just clay and a spinning wheel. You either like making lopsided bowls or you don't. Its not that deep. My first one came out crooked too but I didn't read a whole life story into it. Just had fun squishing the clay around.

jenny471mo ago

My first pottery attempt looked like a sad ashtray. Spent 4 hours glazing it and it still came out ugly. Honestly, that first lopsided bowl might be a beginner's luck thing. I've taken 6 classes since then and most of my stuff still looks like something a toddler made. The wheel is way harder than it looks on Instagram. Not everyone who tries gets good.

lee8471mo ago

Kinda gotta disagree here. That first lopsided thing I made is still on my shelf because it reminds me how frustrating yet fun the whole process was. The wheel is stupid hard, yeah, but that struggle is what makes it feel rewarding when something finally doesn't wobble. Calling it "squishing clay around" misses the point that half the appeal is the challenge and learning to be okay with ugly results.