Why Pottery?

I have been getting this question a lot in my mobile pottery workshops.

Repeated questions and statements get my attention. They are almost always “X”s on the ground, depicting where to dig to find buried treasure. So, let’s dig…

My childhood was interesting, working with my hands on pottery gives me some space to observe my childhood from a distance. We had a home, food, and each other. What we didn’t have was room in the budget to support any activities for us (kids). I knew from a very young age that if the activity costs money then it wasn’t allowed. Karate, soccer, art programs were a few of the activities that fell into this category.

We learned to find activities that were ‘free’. When you think this way long enough you realize that there are a lot of things that fit in this category: Friends, bike riding, sleepovers, catching fireflies, church, etc.,

One such activity was going to the library. I was a very active reader. I could check out 10 books at a time!

Let me get back to the initial question: “Why pottery?” Art is ‘why pottery?’. Art was a free activity for the most part…I used the supplies that I already had for school such as pencils, crayons and notebook paper. I would draw and color for hours. As a teen, I discovered other art forms at the library such as Calligraphy and other lettering.

All of these art forms moved me forward to more emotionally expressive arts such as Watercolor painting and now pottery. The emotional expression in pottery makes is the ultimate art for me. I have done some sad pieces as I contemplated my father’s passing, but most of my pieces flow from the brighter side of my existence with vibrant colors and smooth shapes.

This part of the story, of course, is not the only part, but its a formative part. It is the first pieces of treasure excavated from this question. I can’t wait to find what else can be unearthed here!