Tip #70: Learning to Live with Loss (in Ceramics)
The sign that you have arrived as a true ceramist is that when a piece
goes wrong, you don't think twice about throwing it in the trash. Yes,
sometimes items can be repaired. In fact occasionally with a re-fire you
will get something far more interesting that you originally imagined. But
usually it is faster to make a new piece (and improve your skills in the
process) than to try to repair one that has gone bad.
True potters know that clay and glaze are unpredictable. That's why
test tiles are so important. That's why they never use a new glaze on a
great form, especially a piece that took them a while to make. That's why
they take notes, in order to make the results as predictable as possible.
But still, they throw away work.
Yes, it is frustrating when a piece you worked on for a long time
breaks on the way to the kiln, or the glaze turns out hideous. But the
sooner you learn to look forward to the next piece rather than back, the
sooner your skills will improve so most of your pieces will be great!
Many years ago, I took a photography class. The instructor said that a
photographer takes hundreds of photos to get one that is really good. That
was an eye-opener for me. I just assumed they had a skill that made every
photo great. Have you ever looked through a photo album full of really
lousy photos? Why do people keep them? Since that class, I've thrown away
over half of all the pictures I have taken. So when I look through an
album, I might have the worst hair style imaginable, but at least all the
pictures are good and reflect things as they actually were. Frankly I wish
I had thrown out more pottery. Believe me, I threw out a lot! But some
really bad pieces are still out there, taunting me when I open the
cupboard at my friend's and family's houses.
Most potters for the first several years end up making very little work
that is worth keeping. Hand built pieces seem to have the best potential
to be keepers early on. But wheel work takes a while, lots of practice and
repitition. That is why the fastest way to learn is not to keep pieces at
all, but to throw, cut them up for analysis, re-wedge and throw again. I
have heard things like "when you've thrown a ton of clay, then you
are not a beginner." And that seems about right to me.
Not everyone is cut out for working in clay, and this is one of the
reasons. Not everyone can deal with throwing away a whole kiln load of
work. Or having their favorite pieces ruined. When a painter paints on
canvas, they know exactly what a piece will look like when it is finished.
But when they paint on clay they don't know exactly what color a glaze
will turn out, whether the clay will crack or warp, whether the glaze will
craze or peel. (Well, the good ones test, and learn their materials and
equipment so they have a pretty good idea.) But in ceramics there is
always that element of chance and risk. But on the flip side, few things
compare to the excitement of opening the kiln after a glaze firing!
It is not possible to become a ceramic artist without losing pieces.
And I don't think it is possible to become a great ceramic artist without
losing a lot of pieces. So try to focus more on process than on product.
If you focus on process, the great product will come. Practice, practice,
practice. Test, test, test. And learn from every mistake you make. Take
notes, write down what works and what doesn't. Read books to understand
your materials and why they react in certain ways. To me, this is the
difference between someone who dabbles, and a true professional. Not
whether you sell X amount of work. But rather, how you approach the work.
Finally, when the time comes to toss that piece you really wanted to
turn out, remember that it is only a piece of clay. Not really that
important, as Katrina has reminded us all.