Make Your Mark

Making that first mark on a pristine surface. It's the hardest thing to do. The second hardest thing is letting it go.

It's a fear that stops me cold sometimes. What if I mess up? What if it's not right? What if someone looks at it? What if no one looks at it? I don't even want to think about whether or not someone will buy it! I always want to take it back. Do it over. Make it better. It gets to be like a bad episode of Monk.

Sometimes I forget that I'm not still four years old showing that marked up paper to the fish-eye faces at my grandmother's house and wanting them to understand it. Then I remember that no one needs to understand and neither do I.

Whenever I thought about someone making their mark, I always pictured it as something that had to be monumental. My puny efforts would never be worthy. So what? My work will never be monumental. I wouldn't know where to keep it.

I teach wheel-throwing mostly to adults. I wage a constant battle with beginners who feel like they should be able to master the craft when they haven't even logged eight hours. Showing up to learn is the best first mark. After that it's all about the level of passion.