Hey, I wrote this essay as a supplemental one for a school and am considering submitting it to some of my other schools. I think it might need some work, especially in the last paragraph. Any thoughts?
<pre><code> The soggy, off-center lump of clay jerked around the wheel as I futilely attempted to form it into a bowl. I knew I should be the one controlling the clay, but instead the spinning clay was causing my hands to jerk in every direction. After about fifteen minutes of struggling, a chunk of the clay flew off the wheel and splattered against the wall. Okay, thats enough for today, I thought as I cut the power and began to clean up the mess on the wheel, floor, and walls.
This experience taught me that throwing on the potters wheel, like many things in life, is not as easy as it looks. I had seen other people working on the wheel, and they made the entire process seem effortless. They forced the clay into the center of the wheel so perfectly that you could hardly tell the clay was in motion. Then, after hollowing out the center, the walls arose, even and almost perfectly vertical. Finally, by applying slight
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pressure to the inside or outside walls, they gave the clay its final form. They could make the clay become a bowl, a vase, a bottle- whatever they wanted. I could do that, I thought. I was right. I was able to make pots on the wheel- it just didnt come as easily or as quickly as I would have liked.
After that first try, I took a break from the wheel for awhile and concentrated on making handbuilt pieces out of coils or slabs of clay. A few weeks later, I decided to give the wheel another try. Once the instructor helped me center the pot, I managed to form something that resembled a bowl. One side of this bowl was thinner and several inches higher than the other side. Before I could cut this masterpiece off the wheel, I accidentally
bumped it with my hand, causing it to become a lopsided plate. Discouraged, I decided I that throwing on the wheel was just not my thing.<br>
For the next several months, I occasionally tried again at the wheel. Although I improved slightly during this time, I still surprised myself the first time I centered the clay, built the walls, and formed the shape without any help. Looking at my finished piece, a respectable-looking bowl, I felt a sense of accomplishment. I finally got the hang of this, I thought to myself. From that day forward, began to really enjoy throwing on the wheel.
I began throwing larger, better-formed pots, and I learned how to make vases and bottles. Not only was I surprised at my sudden improvement, but I discovered that I enjoyed throwing more than handbuilding. Now when I go into the pottery studio, I head straight for the wheel. Although I definitely have far to go- some of my pots are still uneven, or precariously built, I am proud of how far Ive come. From the first time I tried making a
pot on the wheel up until today, I have made a lot of progress. I still dont make throwing look easy, but Im working on it.