Life Lessons from the clay: That "P" Word! Patience.

The bat on the wheel goes round and round...lol

PATIENCE

There, I said it. The bane of every potter's existence and one of the most difficult lessons in life to learn.

I am grateful that I grew up in the 60's and 70's. Life was not so "convenient" then. I was not constantly bombarded with information from television, cell phones or computers. While life itself was chaotic at times, it was not this hyper-charged frenetic chaos that infiltrates and destroys a person's inner balance every minute of every day.

Patience was a part of everyday life. I patiently waited for my turn in the bathroom. I waited for the school bus. I had to wait to be "old enough" to do this or that thing. I often had to wait to use the phone to call my friends.

Twenty-four-hour news had not come on the scene yet.

My research came from an Encyclopedia Britannica or the school library, not Wikipedia or Google.

When I had children, maternal patience was a necessary thing. There was patience for jobs I really did not like. Patience with a spouse. Patience every day, all the time.

Then, I went back to college in my mid-thirties, it was during my first pottery class that patience took on a whole new meaning. As I dove into pottery that "p" thing expanded like a brand-new compact sponge soaking up water for the first time.

I had to learn patience with the process and more importantly, patience with myself.

I monitor the greenware. Is it too soft to trim? Is it too hard to trim? If I have learned anything about the nature of clay, it's that the clay waits for no one. It does what it does, and my job as the Potter is to learn about and understand my clay body. How fast does it dry out? What steps can I take to slow down or speed up the drying for optimal trimming. How stiff is it? Do I need to add water or wedge it out? Is it too late to add a handle? Learning all of this takes time.

Once a pot is trimmed and things are added, like a handle, there is the time it takes for it to be dry enough to bisque fire.

In my home studio, I have the option of using my kiln as a "drying" tool, but this adds stress to the elements. My preheat time depends on the dampness and thickness of my clay vessels. In a community studio where turn around is key, I recommend an 8-12 hour preheat. Yup, that's what I said. Better safe than sorry when it comes to other people's work. Blow ups rarely happen when I fire. My typical preheat is about 3 hours, which is actually about 4 as it takes the first hour to reach temperature.

You want the heat up of greenware to go slow. If there is too much moisture in the clay when it hits that 212 degrees F... BOOM! But all you will hear, if you are nearby, is a pphhhhttt sound.

Then there is waiting patiently, or not patiently, for the kiln to heat up and cool down. Everyone wants to know when it is safe to crack your kiln open and peek. I am usually found peeking anywhere from 3-500 degrees F. I don't leave the lid open for long. I get just enough of a look to make me smile or frown.

I take my time glazing. I glaze as each piece speaks. I know it would be easier if I did the same few patterns all the time, but that cramps my creativity. Sometimes I wait years to glaze a piece, but I study it every time I see it, quietly searching and listening for it to reveal what will look best. Which does not always come out as planned, but more often than not, it is beautiful.

After glazing, we head back to the kiln and wait through the entire heat up-cool down cycle again.

If all goes well through these stages, I am overjoyed, but still it is not finished. I sand the bottoms to remove any marks that will scratch furniture or countertops. This can be done by hand with sandpaper or with grinding sticks, but I prefer the discs that fit onto the wheel head. They give a more even surface.

So, when customers want to know if I can get something done by next week...um, NO.

This process of making does not even touch the accumulated hours of mastering a skill like the wheel or hand building. Let alone the hours of contemplation on how to construct an idea from start to end that will survive the making, drying and firing stages.

I could write a book on 101 ways to be patient in pottery, maybe even 1001.

Never-the-less, here is simple spiritual acronym to sum up what the years have taught me:

🏺 PATIENCE

P — Prepare the clay, as the heart prepares for purpose, & Practice, Practice, Practice

A — Abide in the process, trusting what is being formed, Adjust, when necessary, Ask for help when needed.

T — Timing is SO VERY important, Trust the hands that shape you, and in turn your hands will shape your clay

I — Invite the Spirit into every movement, pray for Insight & Imagination

E — Embrace the pressure that brings forth beauty and don't be afraid to Examine your progress and pieces

N — Nurture what is fragile and still becoming, especially when it pertains to you, the potter

C — Cherish the cracks, lessons, and imperfections as you learn to Create with intention

E — Entrust the finished vessel(you) to its Maker and Enjoy the finished product you produce

“The clay cannot become the vessel until it yields to the hands of the Potter.”

I hope this little insight has helped you, and I pray you will be blessed in the waiting.

Char

Here I am creating a cup after I made a slab that was decorated with underglaze prints using the Electric Flower mat.

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