Should I take a Pottery Class?

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This is often a question that people new to pottery will ask themselves: should I take one? It might seem a bit silly if you’re learning it all at home, or maybe you have other considerations. However, there are other reasons why you should take a pottery class, and this post will discuss the top reasons why you should, and what you get in terms of benefits from this as well.

 

Pottery Class Considerations You Might Have

For those who are looking to try out pottery classes, you might want to, but there are a few considerations that you might have. Let’s talk about those.

 

Some of them include:

  • Can be expensive
  • Can get hard
  • Can be hard to find
  • Can be a big commitment
  • Might be hard when getting to the wheel
  • Don’t have peers to do it with
  • Don’t want to get messy
  • You might feel self-conscious
  • You might already have space, so you don’t feel like you need this

These are the main considerations that you might have when you’re looking to begin a pottery class, and we’re going to in this post touch on all of these, and we’ll also talk about some of the solutions to this, and how you can overcome them.

 

Expensive? Maybe

This is probably one of the biggest concerns when beginning pottery. The good old “it’s too much for me” reason. This is often the reason why many people don’t get into hobbies, but let’s take a moment to talk about this.

 

It’s actually less expensive to take a class than it is to get the materials yourself and have them at home. Why is that? Well, let’s discuss  the following:

 

  • Having it at home means you might not use it, so it will stay there and collect dust
  • You can try out a class and see if you like it
  • You can use communal products, all with just a small fee
  • There are many different courses that offer different prices

 

With that in mind, a pottery class does give you the benefits that you want, so you can try it out. Some classes are more expensive than others, sure, but if you’re looking to actually get started with this, you should consider the following to help offset the costs.

 

  • Check Groupon or any place online for discounts
  • Check community college courses
  • Check the rec center, because lots of times they’ll have cheaper classes
  • Look for a class where there is student teaching if you can. That way, you might get a discount

 

Plus, lots of these do run for less than a hundred bucks in some cases. They often include all of the materials. If you’re struggling with pottery, then you might want to try this.

 

 

A pottery class will give you the information that you need, and you can find out from here if you’re really fit to do this or not. It’s a way to try it out.

 

Is It Difficult

This is another consideration people have. Is it difficult? The reason why you should take a pottery class is to learn and let’s talk about the following when it comes to it.

  • It’s harder to learn on your own than in a class
  • You have a teacher there to explain stuff to you
  • You’re able to better understand what is going on because if you mess up the teacher will tell you why
  • If you do this on your own, you might develop bad habits, and that’s something that can end up causing issues with your pottery

 

Pottery classes don’t have to be difficult. You can learn a lot from them, and the classes are usually over a period of six weeks, so you can master the basics by then. Often, it takes much more time to learn pottery if you’re doing it on your own, plus there is the instance that you might be doing something wrong, and that can become a bad habit, and let’s be honest, habits are hard to break.

 

Pottery classes aren’t that difficult, and they’re actually quite simple, but you have to go in with the following mindset:

  • Ready to learn
  • Ready to make mistakes
  • Ready to have fun

 

If you go in with this mentality, you’ll be able to successfully and without fail to take the pottery classes that you want, and have the success that you do want to achieve.

 

It’s much more difficult to do this on your own, and while there are great resources out there, sometimes it’s best to have a person sit down with you and explain stuff you’re confused about.

 

Hard to Find? Not Really

Pottery classes are actually more common than you think. People tend to think that they’re super hard to find, or that you’re unable to find these kinds of classes easily, but if you’re wondering if you should take a pottery class, the answer is yes, you should.

 

They’re available in many different places, including the following:

  • Ceramics studios
  • Ceramics shops
  • The community center
  • Community college
  • Art colleges
  • Private studios

 

There are many different locations for these, and a simple google search will net you the answers that you need.

 

These classes are actually around and you can find the best one that fits you. another great thing about pottery classes is that they offer the following:

  • Different levels of skill
  • Private experiences if you need more tips and training
  • Communal working so that you can work with others
  • Different ways to help perfect your skills so that you’re able to do various actions and make different types of pottery

With pottery classes, there are so many, and the best part is, they’re available for you to try. You just have to do a little bit of searching, and you can definitely get the experiences that you want from it.

 

Is it that much of a commitment?

This is another big consideration. You might be wondering if you should take a pottery class since they tend to be a big commitment, or at least that’s what you might think. But, it’s not always the case. In fact, it’s actually not that bad.

 

Typically, you’re given a few options in terms of classes, and they are as follows:

  • A class that’s a couple of hours a few times a week
  • A class that’s once a week for a while


If you’re thinking about doing this for the long term, sometimes having the ability to go in for a couple of hours a few times a week will keep everything fresh. With a pottery class, the more that you do it, the more you’ll retain it.

 

A common problem that people have when they’re working with pottery, and they’re thinking about learning it on their own, is the fact that they’re not ready for the commitment. In fact, lots of times they give up, simply because they don’t want to put the time that they do into it. However, with a pottery class, you’ll be able to put in a certain amount of time, and actually having a class will provide the following:

 

  • More of a reason to do it
  • An incentive to begin it
  • A schedule for you to do your pottery
  • A better chance at keeping with it

With a pottery class, you’re delegating time to various aspects of it, and if you’re doing this at home, it’s kind of like homeschooling or working from home, you need to be disciplined in order to be successful with this. that’s part of the reason why it may be best for you to take a pottery class rather than just try to do this on your own, especially if you’re not the disciplined type who actually does things without being told, and in truth, it’s not that much of a commitment. With any skill, you’re going to need to dedicate some time, and you’ll definitely want to if you want to get good.

 

What about the Wheel?

Probably the biggest thing that you’ll be worried about, and the biggest reason to take a pottery class is the wheel. The pottery wheel is one of the focal points of pottery classes and learning pottery, but people tend to shy away from learning how to use it. that’s because the pottery wheel is more than just a wheel, it’s the following:

 

As you can see here, the wheel is a big step when it comes to pottery, and the reason why you should take a pottery class is to learn to master this. You can go in and learn the basics of how to use this, and in turn, it will actually help you get a lot of great benefits from this.

 

 

Not only that, but it can also prevent the following from developing:

  • Bad habits
  • Poor hand placement
  • Poor routines

If you’re learning pottery on your own, sometimes there is only so much that you can learn. A pottery class is a great addition, and working on it at home will help to better your skills. The ideal way to learn pottery is to actually take a class, learn the information, and then apply it to what you’re doing at home for the best and most rewarding results. This is the way to learn, and it’s the way to do well with this.

 

Am I doing something wrong?

You can also do pottery classes in order to find out if you’re doing something wrong.

Now, this is a point that’s important for two types of people. They are as follows:

  • The ones who are prone to developing bad habits
  • The seasoned veterans who want to get better but don’t realize they’re engaging in bad habits

Pottery habits can be both good and bad. Good pottery habits will keep your hands strong, your wrists firm, and you’ll be able to create some amazing pieces. With bad pottery habits, you’ll end up inevitably hurting yourself, and you’ll begin to realize over time that wrist degeneration and even carpal tunnel can start to affect you. It can also give you major back issues too.

If you’re doing something wrong, going to a class to find out is a good thing. If you know how to throw pottery, but you’re doing something that’s holding back your efficiency, and could potentially lead to injuries, your teacher will tell you exactly how to fix this, and even some of the techniques that you can utilize to best this. It’s actually quite amazing what you can do, and you’ll be able to learn better.

With pottery, it’s a learning experience, and if you’re looking to get better, sometimes you need to sit here and learn a few things.

With a pottery class, a teacher can help you figure out the following:

  • Why you struggle with making things
  • Various tips to utilize them to get better
  • What different actions to take in order to get you the best results

With this, you can become better, and let’s be real, you can always get better if you try.

 

But What If I’m Already Doing Pottery

If you’re already doing pottery, then great! A class can always help you get better.

 

Some who do pottery at home tend to think that because they do it at home, it leaves them open to just never take a class, but let’s be honest, if you want to get better at something, sometimes you got to go to a class.

 

What can a pottery class do for someone who is into pottery? Well, it can be the following:

  • Teach how to throw harder pieces
  • Teach different techniques to make amazing things
  • Teach how to implement good habits
  • Teach how to fire in different ways

With pottery, it’s never a bad thing to learn more about it. For example, if you’re someone who’s been working in a home studio, and is able to fire amazing pottery, but you feel like you’ve hit a plateau, then, by all means, do a class. A pottery class can help you get over the plateau, and give you a chance to really better yourself.

 

That’s one of the best things about it, the fact that you can use this to help better yourself, and your life, and you’ll be amazed at the difference it can make. With pottery classes, you can learn not only techniques that can help you throw amazingly but also techniques that can help you become the pottery master that you want to become. It’s never a bad thing to learn more, and never a bad thing to understand how to become a better thrower, and you can make your pottery really shine with these helpful techniques, and make it better too. Plus, having a teacher can make you better in different ways, since often they might know things that you don’t.

 

 

I don’t have people to do it with

One reason people might shy away from going to a class, is because they don’t want to be around a stranger, or they don’t have people to do it with, or maybe they’re nervous. Well, let’s dispel this, and talk about why pottery classes are great for this. they are as follows:

  • Pottery is a very one-on-one activity, so you don’t need people
  • You can go on your own
  • You can make new friends
  • There are often activities that you can do that involve pottery and mingling

Pottery is actually both a very personal activity, but also a communal one. If you want to, you can bring your loved ones or your best friend out to do this, but if you want to go alone, it won’t be the end of the world either. With pottery, you’ll be working with the wheel on your own for the most part, and when it comes to firing and the like, you’ll be doing this on your own too.

 

But of course, that doesn’t mean that it can’t be a fun thing to do with friends or family. If your sister has always wanted to try pottery, or maybe your best friend has wanted to go, sometimes bringing them along can make the trip even more fun. You don’t need to have people to do it with, but if you do end up wanting to meet someone or have a friend that you want to bring to this, it won’t hurt.

 

And, if you do end up going alone, it’s not the end of the world either. If you think about it, there are a lot of people who go to these things alone, so they might end up making friends with you. It’s a great way to actually build a friend circle if you’ve been looking for friends, and if you have a mutual love of pottery, it will just add to it. Plus, let’s be real if you do have a group of people that you become friends with during pottery, it might give you an incentive to actually get you going to it, and it will get you excited to continue on with this.

 

I don’t want to Get Messy!

There is also the consideration of getting messy. First of all, remember that they encourage you to do the following before you begin:

  • Wear clothes you’re willing to get dirty
  • Get a smock
  • Wear shoes that are older and cover your feet

This is so that you’re not going in there in your best clothes and getting them trashed. Yes, clay is messy, but it’s actually quite nice to feel.

 

Plus, clay is actually from mud in many cases, and in a sense, when you’re working with it, you’re giving your hands the mud bath that you want to give them. That means, that you’re providing a great and therapeutic means to really heal up the skin.

 

Clay is good for the skin because it can do the following:

  • Help smooth it out
  • Help get the grime off the area
  • Help to condition and moisturize it

 

When working with your hands, a lot of material tends to dry them out, and that can cause cracking and the like. But with clay, it’s like you’re taking a mud bath, which is a means to help rejuvenate the skin. Not only that, it feels good, and playing with clay is very therapeutic. Plus, you can control how messy you can get.

 

Lots of times we refuse to get messy because of how we’ve been inclined to think since we were young. Well, you can now dispel that type of thinking with pottery, and taking a class will allow you to not only get your hands dirty but also to work with it as well. You’ll remember the feeling, and it’s quite relaxing, and plus, you’ll enjoy the way that it feels on your hands as you work with it, which is something that many people like to feel whenever they’re working with this type of material. It’s quite nice and very relaxing.

 

You should take a pottery class if you feel like you want to get better, brush up on skills, or get the incentive to get going with this. You’ll be able to really enjoy this and get a lot of amazing benefits out of it. If you’ve ever wondered if you should, especially if you already feel like your ability to do various actions is already plateaued, then chances are, a pottery class will help. If you’ve wanted to get started, or have been curious, this is also a great thing, and let’s face it, pottery is fun and relaxing, and you can get the therapeutic benefits out of this with this amazing action, and you can get started with this right away and achieve the results you want.

 

 

 

 

 

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