Pottery Workshops hosted by Hartmud Studio
I recently had the pleasure of attending a pottery workshop hosted by Hartmud Studio (one of our favourite potters). Ignorantly I went in thinking that the pottery making would the challenge. That my only take away from the workshop would be a badly made bowl or a cup! Boy was I way off the mark! My biggest take away was in fact to ‘trust the process’ and the bowl would form. Essentially, this meant I couldn’t rush.
My current daily grind includes rushing from the moment I open my eyes until the moment I finally put my boys to bed and collapse on the sofa (for a while I managed to wake an hour before anyone else in my house and fit in my meditation, I now push the snooze a little too often!). The not rushing was an enormous challenge for me! Needless to say, my first attempt was riddled with cracks that no amount of massaging and moulding could coax away – finally I accepted that it was a failure.
In fairness though I did learn something with that first failed attempt and my second attempt was significantly better. Of course having come from such a low bar it was still no masterpiece I did however almost puff my chest out a little with pride!
OMG you’d swear I was writing a self help book right about now! And, if you know me you know I’m generally not a fan of the self help genre! So back to the workshop, it was an immensely satisfying experience. It’s so rare as an adult that you get to really ‘craft’ anymore (and I’m not talking about the kind you do with your kids) or do something that doesn’t require a keyboard and a screen.
The Workshop a brief overview
The workshops are Isa’s brainchild and she leads them with such grace. She briefs everyone at the start her calm energy setting the tone (along with her playlist) for everyone to begin their own individual creative process. She gives advice but only when needed allowing everyone to discover and learn, essentially find their own rhythm and individual process.
Good to know:
- trust the process the bowl will come
- you literally slap the clay between hands to create your initial spherical ball as apposed to kneading it (I know right?)
- Working slowly is your best strategy (until you know what you doing)
- I found it an incredibly meditative process
- It wasn’t as messy as I imagined it would be
- working from the inside out or from the outside in create two vastly different outcomes
- to find out more about their products and workshops visit their website
