THE FINAL HURDLE

No one really tells you what the final year is like and maybe there is a reason why. I mean it isn’t exactly a calm walk in the park, maybe for some. But for the most of us, it’s not easy street. When i started in my first year, i told myself that if i figure out what i want to do, then I’ve won. The truth is, that was just the start. Finding out what i wanted to do was the easy part, i knew that i liked pottery and that i had a love for forestry. And i was very lucky that currently ‘green interiors’ are in. But the next hurdle for me is, getting my foot in the door. As it will be for thousands of other graduates.

But interestingly i have learnt something during my final few months. That is, to be 100% myself and authentic, OK maybe not too much of myself. But one thing that separates most ceramics is the human touch. When something has been handmade, there’s a certain touch to it. It feels relatable, organic and real. You can begin to sense whom had made it and their creative personalities. This is one thing that we are very quickly going to loose. ‘The robots are coming’ and if you don’t know already, a factory machine made vase takes a fraction of the time a slip cast takes to make and cast. But i enjoy the human elements to making. I know the exact difference between each of my casts and that’s something a pristine pot will never have.

So don’t shy away from your unique approach to the way you work.