“I’d be rubbish,” I told my husband when I tentatively raised the subject of trying pottery for the first time at age 34. “So?” he asked. “What’s wrong with being rubbish?” For this week's @newstatesman.com I tried something different: being okay with failure www.newstatesman.com/culture/life... - ThreadSky

rmcunliffe.bsky.social • 94 days ago

“I’d be rubbish,” I told my husband when I tentatively raised the subject of trying pottery for the first time at age 34. “So?” he asked. “What’s wrong with being rubbish?”

For this week's @newstatesman.com I tried something different: being okay with failure

https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/life/2024/11/i-started-pottery-i-knew-id-be-rubbish

Comments

fionaandrews.bsky.social•41 days ago

I had a pottery party for my 50th then did a term of classes at a local college. I was really crap but had a fantastic time. Licence to play with mud basically. Loved it even if I never managed to throw so much as a simple bowl!

loulum.bsky.social•20 days ago

You’ve got some good height there. I did a beginners & intermediate course & could never get past a shallow bowl - more guacamole size than pasta. Never plucked up the courage to drink from the mug I made. But enjoyed so much. Loved the trimming stage

kengray1967.bsky.social•41 days ago

Something I keep telling my daughter. Try it. You might be rubbish at it - but you can either keep doing it if you like doing it or try something else if you don’t

logiak.bsky.social•94 days ago

Nice. “Just play” is right.

clarewenham.bsky.social•94 days ago

So spot on…it’s the feeling in our bodies not the end result that makes the difference: I am a rubbish runner, incompetent ballroom dancer, weakest alto in the choir, but I feel free and alive in the doing…good article, thanks!

jmnurick.bsky.social•33 days ago

This is a lovely thread and I want to show it to people. 📌

raelynne79.bsky.social•94 days ago

"I'm not good at it" vs "I'm not good at it YET". This is the definition of a growth mindset: we're all rubbish when we start a new thing, but a growth mindset is believing that we can get better with time and practice.

pritchardjr.bsky.social•11 days ago

Pottery helped me through my PhD. It was joyful to spend some time with hands in warm clay making misshapen pots with no expectation of excellence.

thornfieldhall.bsky.social•11 days ago

Warm clay! Luxury! Lewisham Arts Centre has no central heating and the pottery studio only has cold running water. Our clay is as cold as the grave in winter...sorts out the committed from the wimps 😉

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•11 days ago

The pottery studio I went to is lovely but freezing

thornfieldhall.bsky.social•11 days ago

It's actually helpful because it means your pots don't dry too quickly, so less prone to cracking, especially plates and handles. It's why potters look like they are dressed for Bargain Hunt, though...fleeces all the way!

saturngirl.bsky.social•41 days ago

This IS one thing that should be taught at school. When I cover an Art class I always tell students some people are naturally good at drawing, some aren’t and that doesn’t matter: the point is to enjoy the process.

sandiesunshine.bsky.social•27 days ago

I'm not even sure that it's true that some people are naturally good. My daughter is considered 'naturally good' at drawing, but I know that she has drawn since being small, has been encouraged heaps by us, and has spent hours and hours over her life 'practicing'. My avatar is one of her drawings.

slumguzzled.bsky.social•26 days ago

I think that being a learner at something is a chance to muck around and discover. And that's really valuable. I had a child with motor skills delays and the best times for learning & creativity were the ones with no pressure to finish some stupid set task.

jackkessler.bsky.social•94 days ago

This was lovely.

fiftieswoman1.bsky.social•94 days ago

Just took first pottery class at 70. I think the description as I have a "unique style" polite way of saying must try harder by teacher but loved every minute.

alic.bsky.social•94 days ago

Goodness I wish I could learn not to care when I'm shit at something, but the inner critic WILL NOT PERMIT

ian.spennys.world•93 days ago

As you get older you learn being rubbish is a critical stage in progressing.

When you achieve basic competence, then it's time to seek next level rubbishness.

worklifeyou.bsky.social•93 days ago

Having something you’re not especially good at and not particularly trying to be good at it for any reason is very healthy where with everything else in life it does tend to matter if you’re any good at it!

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•41 days ago

So how is learning pottery going, I hear you ask? Yes I booked the course. Yes I was delusional.

Well, tonight was session two. Three pots squashed completely off the wheel. Four very wonky ones intact. Boots now approx 47% clay. Confidence not quite at rock bottom, but maybe squishy lower half

northamptonian.bsky.social•41 days ago

They look fine for a session 2 effort. Hope you had fun doing it.

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•41 days ago

I am the worst in the class by quite a long way

northamptonian.bsky.social•41 days ago

You’ll improve. And it’s not about measuring yourself by the rest of the class, it isn’t school maths. Enjoy creating something, and learning something new.

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•41 days ago

This is exactly the mindset I am trying to practise, but it is hard!

northamptonian.bsky.social•41 days ago

I know, it’s frustrating. Just keep going. Honestly, your work was ok.

invalid-handle.com•41 days ago

But… are you having fun yet?

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•41 days ago

When I can let go of the frustration, very much so!

invalid-handle.com•41 days ago

Brilliant!
Letting go is hard. Being rubbish at things is hard. Very fast moving clay is hard… well squishy but…
Glad you’re having fun :)

littleheathd.bsky.social•41 days ago

I am want to try this as well. I think you have done really well. I must just get on with having a go

littleheathd.bsky.social•41 days ago

*wanting*

sunshineclayworks.bsky.social•41 days ago

Woah, that’s amazing! It took me 6 weeks to get the walls up and inch! lol I almost finished the classes without anything finished! Well done 😃

yeomans.bsky.social•41 days ago

Nooo they look fabulous! I love the four-cornered pot!

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•41 days ago

It has four corners because the rim went wonky and I didn’t know how to salvage it so just poked it around!

yeomans.bsky.social•41 days ago

Good save, I thought it was the design!

yeomans.bsky.social•41 days ago

P.S, I tried basketry last autumn. I'm pretty crafty but found wrestling with willow so, so difficult. My hands got cut to shreds and having gone in quite confident, my basket was the lumpiest in the class. Still had a great time. Like you say in the piece, permission to fail and enjoy it anyway.

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•41 days ago

I’m sure your basket was beautiful!

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•41 days ago

As my husband reminded me, the whole point of doing this was to get better at being comfortable being rubbish at something.

Me: I am so bad at pottery!

Him: Hey, everyone finds it hard trying something new for the first time. And in your case it’s patience

davewvero.bsky.social•41 days ago

They look OK to me for a second attempt. You should have seen the ones I produced a few years back! [No photos exist!].

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•41 days ago

Why is it so hard????

davewvero.bsky.social•41 days ago

A highly maleable material being spun in circles at quite high speed using only your hands to shape it. No idea at all!!! You could always try milking a goat instead!!!

jackpneedham.bsky.social•41 days ago

Ohhh so you’re really good at being rubbish at something

stevedoherty.bsky.social•41 days ago

I, too, did this. More or less. Mostly to “get it out of my system” but I loved it. And was hopeless! (But I have my “work” on an office shelf)

richardbaxell.bsky.social•27 days ago

👏👏👏👏

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•41 days ago

I do find it deeply ironic that I, the most impatient obsessive ever with a ferocious need to get “top marks” at everything, have chosen to try something that requires hours and hours of practice and where failure is not just visible but signified by squashing the thing you just spent ages creating

nickequipechasee.bsky.social•20 days ago

Just look at it as 'destroying the evidence' ... ! 😎

yellsonpolitics.bsky.social•41 days ago

wait till you take up violin

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•41 days ago

No thank you! I played the cello as a child and that was enough for me!

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•41 days ago

Am I trying to get better at pottery, or am I trying to get better at not minding that I’m bad at pottery?

Either way, it is not going well

thatdocphoenix.com•41 days ago

Just trying to get to Keith’s tears

twnj.bsky.social•41 days ago

"If something's worth doing, it's worth doing badly"

dollyogroats.bsky.social•34 days ago

There’s a wonderful freedom in being rubbish at something but enjoying it anyway

gammonhunter.bsky.social•34 days ago

The question should be: 'Do I get joy from this?'

If the answer is yes, plough on, regardless of the quality of your output.

If the answer is no, stop and go find something that gives you joy.

tpgroberts.bsky.social•41 days ago

About two years ago, following us both watching and loving Pottery Throwdown, I bought my partner a pottery course for her 30th birthday. It was small scale, taught by a local guy who we'd bought various things off, and meant for any experience level. It was the worst gift I ever bought.

tpgroberts.bsky.social•41 days ago

Week after week "how did it go, honey?" And just getting a furious glare back, as her dreams of making a fruit bowl slowly collapsed back into a mass of clay. The momentary improvements dashed back down into frustration that only made the clay even harder to work. We still have a...erm, ash tray?

jenniferfujimoto.com•38 days ago

You can get better at pottery and get better at embracing the learnings (aka bad pots) at the same time! ❤️

davidmuttering.bsky.social•41 days ago

And the measure of success is getting fired.

gabitried.bsky.social•41 days ago

Well done, sir.

theslipwareman.bsky.social•36 days ago

Stick at it, it takes time and focus. People say it's therapeutic, but I've been making it's for over 40 years, and it still winds me up and drives me crazy every day!

yolanthej.bsky.social•11 days ago

thing about a growth mindset is: enjoy the proces, not the end result. I find throwing pots, centering the clay, feeling the substance take form within my hands (wonky or not), brings an alert, peacefull state of mind centered and 'in the moment' (untill it doesn't 😄), I love that.

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•34 days ago

PROGRESS!

((Sort of))

kateedmonds.bsky.social•34 days ago

Congrats! That's way better than my painful efforts, which I made my peace about giving up last year.

jimrodg.bsky.social•34 days ago

I’m very jealous - it’s one of my dreams to have a go

billywang.bsky.social•34 days ago

I like the wabi-sabi vibe

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•27 days ago

TRIMMING WEEK!

HELLO LITTLE POTS!

((Sorry most of you are wonky. But I love you anyway))

clairington.bsky.social•41 days ago

The only thing that matters is whether or not it feels nice to squish clay

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•41 days ago

I have been getting all of my anger at life out that way

rmcunliffe.bsky.social•94 days ago

"Maybe one session was enough. But part of me wants to find out if I can learn to tame the clay spirits, to tease out their power, and shape them into submission. Maybe I would get better with practice. And maybe I could practise not caring if I get better."

https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/life/2024/11/i-started-pottery-i-knew-id-be-rubbish

yoxall.bsky.social•94 days ago

My wife has made a pestle and mortar, which id been meaning to buy for ages, and a number of side plates and sharing boards.

Once you get past the vase there are tons of useful things you can make. She paints hers too.

This hasn’t been glossed yet and I don’t know what it is, something for food.

simfinuk.bsky.social•34 days ago

I'm with Kurt on this, I'm a rubbish guitar player.. 'Being good at things isn't the point of doing them.' https://www.coleschafer.com/blog/kurt-vonnegut-advice

asw-burnham.bsky.social•20 days ago

I thought that when i picked up a Hockey stick for the first time at the age of 26. To be fair i was right but i played the sport for 15 years and had a whale of a time. Be a whale, Rachel.

fraxinus44.bsky.social•94 days ago

You do it enough it's hard to stay rubbish

debbiedo.bsky.social•41 days ago

If you never try how do you ever know. And in any case, being creative is about enjoying the process. Bugger the outcome.

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply