24/04/2026
Pottery, I’m learning, is a quiet teacher.
器由心定，形随缘生，知止方成。
At the wheel, patience isn’t optional — it’s required. So is letting go. I walk in with no expectations and leave them at the door each time. I’m not yet shaping with full intention, so for now I allow, follow, and respond. Beyond a certain point, not everything can be learned in theory — some things only come through experience.
The clay teaches fundamentals too. It must be centered, and the base must be strong. Without that, nothing holds. When the foundation is steady, whatever we build has a better chance of holding its shape.
Some days, it’s a small bowl. Other days, something that starts as a cup becomes a plate, and then something else entirely. This is not failure — it is the process. Make the best of what’s in front of you. If it becomes a cup, then make a cup. Flow with it — it’s often the simplest way to create something whole.
In my last two sessions, I made vessels that were good — about 80% there, with a slight dent at the rim. The lesson was immediate: stop there. When I didn’t, when I pushed for more and tried to perfect it, the piece collapsed.
Good enough is good enough. Progress is sustainable; perfection is not. And sometimes, it’s the small dents and imperfections that make something unmistakably yours.
We place a lot of pressure on ourselves to get things exactly right, especially when we are still learning. But growth doesn’t ask for perfection. It asks for presence, for timing, and for knowing when to begin — and just as importantly, when to stop.
For now, I’ll keep returning to the wheel — centering, building, letting go, and trusting that what is meant to take shape will ❤️
— 📸 Brenda Tan
