Lessons Through Art
Release the idea of perfection and just begin…
When I began taking ceramics lessons, I walked into a beautiful studio in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, rocking my corduroy overalls. I strutted in fully expecting to be seated at the wheel as I would (of course) proceed to throw a magnificent vase. Instead, my teacher sat me down at the table and taught me how to begin…across the room from the wheel.
I learned to build by hand first. Wedging, coiling, placing, joining. My first project turned into an enormous planter. I just could not stop adding layer after layer.
After a summer of building, I was ready to begin. I entered the process as a student - I listened intently and followed every step I was instructed. Outwardly I tried to appear patient but within I held the demand to be an expert. Already I saw myself setting up a home studio and making an impressive collection of mugs and bowls. Yet I had only just begun.
As I sat down on my stool, I prepared my body to connect with the wheel. I held my sphere of wedged clay and I dropped and patted it firmly into the center. My foot grazed the pedal as if I was a hesitant driver, unsure if I should release to slow down or press firmly to give it power. Really I hoped the wheel would take control - and it did.
Over and over I coned, raising the clay up and pressing it down. I attempted desperately to center. The harder I tried to create, the more rigid my posture became and the more inconsistent and shallow my breathing was. After many attempts at reclaiming control of my clay, I realized how my approach to create perfectly was interfering with my ability to just simply create.
While my palms and fingers guided the clay, I was lost somewhere in the distance tied to my expectation of outcome. My physical body and my mind were disconnected.
It took time to realize the impact my perfectionist tendencies had on me. But it didn’t take long for them to wear away at my enjoyment of the process. As this became clearer to me, so did my need to shift my expectations. I redesigned my goal by letting go of the idea of getting it right. Instead I allowed myself to practice learning as a beginner. I began to embrace the idea of my work coming out wobbly and imperfect. I now understood that this was indeed part of the process.
Each time I felt my body tighten and my breath hesitant, I reminded myself to loosen up and breathe.
The more I engaged with the process of creating in this way, the more in control I actually became - of the clay and of my ability to enjoy my time being a student.
As we face something new, why do we expect ourselves to be experts?
Learning is a process. We are not meant to figure it all out the moment we try. We are meant to learn along the way.
What if we lowered the bar just a touch to allow ourselves grace to be a beginner?
What if we faced ourselves with patience and understanding as we push ourselves to try new things?
How might our experience of exploring our interests shift if we release our expectation to be perfect and embrace the idea of just trying.
Whatever your interest is, allow yourself to try… with grace, with patience, with allowance to be a beginner.
Take good care,
Kristen
