"One thing we did during the semester that impacted my thoughts and knowledge about ceramics greatly was the “zen pinch pots” activity we did with Rose. It was really nice to feel the clay in my hands and focus completely on rooting myself and not on making the pot look perfect. It really made me think about the importance of focusing on the clay in front of me as is, and not on what I expect the finished product to be. This really helped me during the coil project. In the beginning, I was worried about making it look exactly like I wanted. But after I started working, I focused more on what I was doing at that moment. It worked, because the coil pot is the project is the one I am most proud of out of all of them. " -A.K.

"My biggest accomplishment in this class was definitely the 7 pinch pots I made. I loved working with small cubes of clay and watching them turn into bowls and unique dishes in my hands. It made me aware of how you have to be fully connected to each pot you make. I had to learn how to feel the clay along the way of making each pot and become connected to each one I made. I carefully planned out the designs for each pot and then used the glazes I thought would fit each pot I made. The thing that led me to this greatest accomplishment was my focus on each item I made. I noticed that on some of the early pots I made, my focus wasn’t there and they all ended up turning out a bit wonky or cracked, too skinny, too thick and just never looked right. But when I sat down and found that focus zone, I was locked in on whatever pot I was making. And those pots I was locked in and focused on were the best pots I made." -SB