After wrapping up our first pottery class last week, I couldn’t help but get a little nostalgic and think back on the entire process. It was loads of fun and definitely something we would do again. It was a ten week course for three hours every Saturday. We improved leaps and bounds by the last class, but my favorite part might just be what I learned about Alex and our relationship in the process.
- We work very differently, something I already knew quite well, but we worked very great together despite that. He was a very messy, all over the place kind of worker, but produced a lot of beautiful pieces quite quickly. I was all about precision and taking my time, which made me a great glazer to take all of our pieces to a great finished form.
- Our styles compliment each other in ways I never noticed before. Every single piece he created I loved and wanted to immediately keep for myself. He couldn’t get enough of all the bowls I was making. We created very different things but they worked so well together.
- Alex works incredibly hard to become good at something if at first it doesn’t really click. We found out a few classes in that Alex actually throws left-handed, but until that discovery moment he struggled along trying to throw right-handed. He kept working at it and didn’t get frustrated when it wasn’t going his way.
- We can be at different skill levels and it doesn’t affect anything. Because Alex had such a hard time starting out, I became better than him at the start. He didn’t pout and I didn’t boast. We encouraged each other to push ourselves without carrying who’s better or worse.
- We are a good team regardless of what we think sometimes. We rarely work together during the week days since we have such a different work style, but when we do work together, our two personalities really shine as one cohesive unit.
Beyond the fact that I loved getting out of the apartment for a few set hours each week, I really enjoyed watching Alex’s process and spending some time with him. Relationships are definitely ever-changing creatures, but I’m happy to say pottery definitely taught me a thing or two about mine.
xoxo Kayla
