My First Adventure in Throwing a Pot on the Wheel

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before."

Nothing I can do looks remotely like this.

I've always wanted to be able to throw a pot on the wheel. When I was younger, in middle school, I took a sculpting class, but we only did pinch pots and the like. Our teacher did a demonstration on the wheel for us, but we never got the chance to try it ourselves. Over the years, I've done other projects in clay, and I think it's always been my favorite artistic medium.

This year, in an effort to broaden my horizons and gain a little more depth I've decided to stop saying no to all the opportunities that come my way. So when I got an email about the Continuing Education and Fine Arts program on campus having a pottery wheel class, instead of just saying to myself, "Oh, I'll never get in, there're only a limited number of spots," I printed out the form and filled it out. And now here I am, on the other side of my first time throwing a pot.

"Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty. Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty."

It was definitely a lot harder than it looks. When you see someone really good do it, the clay just seems to flow into the desired shape with no more effort than a stream parting around a hand placed in its waters. The reality is a lot different. It takes a lot more strength than you would think, but even if I still can't manage to correctly center my clay or put the hole in the exact center of the pot, it's still very rewarding to see something forming out of an amorphous blob of clay and know that your hands did it. I'm excited to continue growing as I learn more. :)

I definitely do not look this cool while making my pots. Or this clean, for that matter.

"The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. [T]rust and rely on the Spirit. As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you."

--President Dieter F. Uchtdorf