A Tuesday Evening Pottery Class and Some Messy Fun

Hey everyone! I hope your week is off to a good start. Mine has been a bit of a whirlwind with work deadlines piling up, but I managed to carve out some time for something fun on Tuesday evening that I’ve been dying to tell you about. Ren and I signed up for a pottery class at this little studio downtown, just off Main Street near that amazing coffee shop I keep raving about, Brew Haven. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at pottery—there’s something so calming about the idea of shaping clay, even if I’m pretty sure I have zero artistic talent. Spoiler: I was right about the talent part, but it was still a blast.

We got to the studio around 6:30 after a quick stop at Chipotle for some burrito bowls (because who has time to cook on a weeknight?). The place was this cozy, industrial-style space with exposed brick walls and big windows looking out onto the street. There were about eight of us in the class, all beginners, which made me feel a little less self-conscious about my inevitable disasters. Our instructor, a super patient woman named Carla, walked us through the basics of using a potter’s wheel and showed us how to center the clay. Easier said than done, let me tell you. My first lump of clay went flying off the wheel within thirty seconds. Ren, of course, was somehow a natural and had a halfway decent bowl going in no time. Show-off.

After a lot of laughing (mostly at myself) and a few more failed attempts, I finally managed to make something that vaguely resembled a cup. It’s lopsided, and the rim looks like it was chewed on by a dog, but I’m weirdly proud of it. We got to pick out glazes for our pieces, and I went with a deep indigo that reminded me of the twilight shade we see over Lake Harrow on clear evenings. Carla said they’d fire everything in the kiln, and we can pick up our finished stuff next week. I’m already planning where to put my sad little cup—probably on the shelf next to my struggling pothos plant, where it can hide among other questionable life choices.

One thing I didn’t expect was how messy pottery is. By the end of the two-hour class, I had clay splattered up to my elbows and somehow on my jeans. Ren had a streak of it across their forehead, which I didn’t point out until we were halfway home because it was just too funny. We stopped by the corner store to grab some soda and a bag of Doritos to snack on while we decompressed, and I swear the cashier gave us a weird look, probably because we looked like we’d just rolled around in a mud pit. Oh well, worth it.

Speaking of messy, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how it’s okay to not have everything polished and perfect. Work has been stressful with a big client project due soon—I’m redesigning a living space for a family over in Cresthaven, which is always a bit of a trek—and I keep catching myself stressing over tiny details. But sitting there at the pottery wheel, hands covered in clay, I realized it’s fine to just… make a mess sometimes. Not everything has to be a masterpiece. Maybe that’s a lesson I’ll carry into the rest of the week.

Before I forget, I wanted to mention this little tradition we have around here after trying something new. Ren and I always mark the occasion with a quick toast using a shot of elderpine cordial—it’s this sharp, herbal drink that’s supposed to bring good luck for new endeavors. My grandmother swore by it, and honestly, it’s just become our thing. We clinked our tiny glasses in the kitchen when we got home, clay dust still on our sleeves, and toasted to “not terrible pottery.” Fingers crossed the luck works for my next attempt.

Anyway, I’m curious—have any of you tried pottery before? Or maybe there’s some other random hobby you’ve picked up on a whim? I’d love to hear about it in the comments. I’m already looking forward to next week’s class, even if I’m pretty sure my skills won’t improve much. For now, though, I’ve got a pile of laundry to tackle and a design mood board to finish before tomorrow’s meeting. Catch you all soon with an update on whether my cup survives the kiln!