Still Life Studio, Arts District, Downtown Los Angeles
Finding Freedom with Clay was a project about discovery and exploration, persistence, struggle, and appreciation. Throughout the month of May, I would be learning how to manipulate and control clay to create ceramic structures. Still Life Studios, a renowned ceramics studio based in Los Angeles, holds workshops every month to both introduce and continue the teachings of ceramics. I and 4 other ceramicists spent four weeks learning how to throw clay, trim our vessels, and apply glazes. In addition, I had the opportunity to partake in a raku workshop—held by Greg Lannon—which taught us a traditional Japanese way to fire clay.
Prior to this project, I found myself hesitating to explore my creative ideas, and found myself never feeling proud of the work I produce. During the spring semester of my second year, I enrolled in an introductory ceramics course which helped me take my mind off my regular courses. My introduction to ceramics truly made me feel proud of something I created for myself—and this seldomly occurred. I found myself extremely eager to continue ceramics because I had finally found something that made me feel confident in my art, yet I would be unable to continue for another year. Through STEP, I was fortunate enough to practice ceramics and learn from professionals of many different backgrounds. The month-long workshop, as well as the raku workshop, made me appreciate the art of ceramics more than I would ever imagine.
As my project came to a close, I couldn’t believe how much progress I had made. Not only in my skills as a ceramicist, but as an artist; not too long ago, I would have never applauded myself for a mug or vase I created, and I would have never felt the growth. I now feel comfortable in my abilities to produce ceramics, and I feel the walls of hesitation that trapped me from exploring my creative side, crumbling. I have since ventured into photography, other forms of art such as printmaking, and have felt more confident in sharing my art with others. Ceramics is far from creating cups and bowls. Ceramics trains us to learn how to believe in ourselves, how to know when to give-up, how to appreciate the beauty in all our work—no matter how weird or wrong we think it looks– and how to feel proud of ourselves and of our accomplishments. These are all values that I wouldn’t have felt close to my heart if I didn’t participate in my project. Whenever I see ceramics, whether it has a utilitarian use such as a mug or bowl, or even unconventional forms, I now appreciate the hard work that went into that object more than I ever have before. Years of practice and determination go into the art we see every day, and we take these for things for granted so often.
The month-long workshop held one class every Saturday for four weeks. Throughout the month, we were constantly encouraged to come in during our free-time and practice. While it may seem like a simple suggestion, having an entire studio of professionals and artists encouraging you to keep practicing truly made me want to come in during the week to develop myself as an artist. In fact, the environment that Still Life Studio curates is one that promotes the development of artists—and when I say artists, I am emphasizing artists of all levels. It never mattered how much prior experience we had in ceramics; once we stepped inside of the studio, we were all viewed as artists. I never imagined that the community that ceramics creates would become one of the reasons I found freedom from my boundaries and self-imposed restrictions.
As I mentioned earlier, my class only consisted of the instructor, and 4 other students. The small class size encouraged us to interact with each other, and everybody always made sure to compliment whatever it was we were making and encouraged us to keep trying whenever we struggled. I was especially hard on myself because I really wanted to correct my past bad habits while throwing the clay. Encouragement goes a long way, and I always felt proud of my progress each time I entered and exited the studio. Because of the renown the studio has, many of the artists there were quite advanced. Due to this, I found myself aiming to achieve the levels of excellence that they had. Many of them were able to beautifully produce multiple vessels in the time that it would take me to create one. I wanted my development as an artist to come quick and adequately, and I was not going to take this opportunity for granted.
Greg Lannon’s Home Studio
At the end of the month, I would be participating in a special raku workshop. A raku firing is one in which we drastically manipulate the chemical reactions that occur on the ceramic body. This is typically done by rapidly cooling the vessel in combustible materials and trapping all the air in to create uncontrollable chemical reactions. I was extremely excited for this class, and this made me really focus on my growth during the month. I was required to produce vessels prior to the day of the workshop, and I did not want to waste this opportunity with poorly produced ceramics. I visited the studio almost every day of the week and started throwing with a different type of clay called Soldate-60. This clay is more suitable for raku firing due to its composition, and it feels very different than the clay we used during the month-long course. This clay was limited, so I became more attuned to the forms that I was creating. Each form I created was crafted exactly how I envisioned it and is the best work I have created to date. I never felt prouder of my work, and I have never felt more proud of myself. I would be attending the workshop determined to finalize my creations.
Ceramics Being Pulled Out of the Kiln
The raku workshop was held in Greg Lannon’s personal studio outside of his home, meaning it would be a very different environment than what I was used to. There were only 3 other artists, and they each came from different backgrounds and had different training in ceramics. I was quite fortunate to have participated in this workshop with them because the workshop was very intimate. We all got time to talk with each other about our backgrounds and work, and we were able to learn about the raku firing and about Greg’s own work. There was as much importance on the workshop as there was on hospitality. Ceramics creates community, and I felt so proud of my work and my developments as an artist and never wanted to stop talking with everybody. I do not take these opportunities for granted and have gained a much deeper understanding of art and what it can provide for people.
Throughout my life, I have always valued art and anything creative; I love visiting art museums, viewing films, paintings, structures, etc. I have always wanted to create and use the arts as an outlet for my own visions. Although I have always been very ambitious, it has always been hard for me to develop as an artist; with drawing, for example, I struggle to illustrate my ideas, and this brings my confidence down. With digital art, I struggle to learn the software which makes me want to give up. With structure, I struggled to control the clay leading me to not produce forms I want to produce. In addition, social media both introduces me to the world of art yet reminds me of the large skill-gap. While it showed me things I wanted to do similarly, it tended to make me feel as though I could never achieve that level of work. My development as an artist over the course of my STEP project has transformed the way I appreciate myself; I am no longer restricted to viewing art, and can now create and share my art. I don’t feel restricted with my capabilities, and have embraced my current understandings and skills in art. I have wanted to create all of my life, and I can finally feel comfortable saying that I am proud of myself.
My Ceramics After a Raku Firing
On a final note, I wish to live a life full of creativity. I do not want to be restricted to just the thought of creating. I wish to explore the arts, and I wish to remain ambitious. My artistic development during May continued into June, and I don’t find this ever stopping. I am now free from the hesitation that once engulfed my life, and I am free from the words “I am not good enough.”
