Humbled.

An unplanned post, short and sweet, to get back in the swing of things...

In the studio today I was humbled. Sitting at the wheel for hours trying to throw a particular form; A pitcher that I deemed acceptable in its shape and weight. For the life of me, I could not do it. Too heavy, bad spout, too heavy, wrong belly height, too heavy, too heavy... On one attempt I even failed in centering the clay.

I've been making pots for the better part of 7 years now. I suppose I fancy myself a pretty strong thrower. Today I learned that sometimes when you think you know something, when you take for granted, it might be barring you from seeing the truth. I swallowed my pride and asked for help.

With a little guidance I was finally able to break my pattern of failure, see my technique with fresh eyes, zero in on my issue, and focus on fixing it. I was re energized and filled with gratitude for a new found excitement.

Today wasn't an isolated event. Situations arise quite often in the studio where the opportunity to cultivate humility is presented. The thing is, they're only of use if you let them be. Lately I haven't been letting them, not just in the studio, but in general. Today's event was a much needed reminder to nurture the habit of humility.