Transcript
Speaker: Real quick before we get started, did you know that the questions that we asked are going to determine what our pottery is going to look like and it's going to determine what our voice is going to look like? That's why I created 15 questions that you can use right now to start discovering your own unique voice. Go to shapingyourpottery .com forward slash questions to get this free booklet.
Speaker: If you love pottery and want to take your skills to the next level, you're in the right place. Find your own pottery style right here on Shaping Your Pottery with Nick Torres. Let's get started. Be proud of the pottery that you are making. What is up, Shaping Nation? This is Nick Torres here, and on this episode of Shaping Your Pottery,
Speaker: I'm going to be talking about why we need to take time to acknowledge the things that we are making and see how far we have come. Because oftentimes we get too caught up in things. We get too caught up in what we're actually trying to make or what the things that we're actually trying to do. And we don't take the time to actually sit and just be proud of what we're making sometimes.
Speaker: And that can be very draining, especially if you're trying to sell your pottery, right? If you are trying to sell your pottery, and maybe what you are doing right now is you have something that is trying to sell that you're trying to sell and trying to sell and you keep making these pots, you keep making these pots over and over and over and over again.
Speaker: What begins to happen is you start taking things for granted a little bit. You get into that state of you just where you want to try to keep selling your pottery, which is a completely fine state to be in. But we have to take time every once in a while to just sit and enjoy what we are making. Because if we can enjoy what we are making, then what is the point of making pottery? I bet you.
Speaker: You didn't get into pottery to sell your pottery. I bet you, you got into pottery to try something new. Try a new hobby. You thought it would be fun, so you tried it out. But I bet you didn't try to go into pottery to try to sell your pottery. You just wanted to learn something new. But along the way, you got a little bit shrewd a little bit. You got a little bit tunnel vision, where you started making the pottery that you're making, so you started focusing more on trying to sell the pottery.
Speaker: and you stopped making time to actually make the pottery and be proud of what you're making. So I'm telling you this, when was the last time you actually sat and were actually proud of something that you made? You know, maybe it was a challenge that you gave yourself. Let's say you, normally you make about five inches with about two pounds of clay. And you gave yourself the challenge, I'm gonna get to six inches.
Speaker: with a pound or two pounds of clay. And you hit that goal, but did you actually sit with it? Did you actually experience the happiness that you felt by getting that six inches, by completing that challenge?
Speaker: We have to sit with these feelings sometimes. We have to sit so we can be proud of our pottery. You can also look back at your old pottery as well. We get too caught up in things, right? In trying to sell things or trying to make our pottery look better. But sometimes we have to slow down a little bit so that we can
Speaker: and be proud of what we are making. I challenge you today, if you are listening to this episode today, look back at your past pottery, maybe from a year ago, maybe from when you first started, maybe even last week. Look at your past pottery. I want you to line up all those pots together, starting from maybe one of your first pots that you made and then go all the way up to the pots that you're making today. Line them all up and see the progress you have made.
Speaker: and sit with those feelings, right? Did you make improvements? Have you improved over a course of a year, over a month, over 10 years, however long you've been making pottery? Have you improved your pottery? And be proud of the progress that you have made because we all make progress at different rates. Some people might get really good, really, really fast, but other people might take a little bit of time. I was one of those people that took a little bit of time. I feel you there.
Speaker: I was in my high school class, there was about four of us making pottery and I was probably the worst one out of all of us. But I stuck with it. One, because I am very competitive and I didn't want to lose, but I stuck with it because I wanted to get good at this. But I was also very proud of the work that I made. But sometimes I would also get into that zone myself where I wouldn't be proud of my work. I was just focusing on the outcome and I wasn't focusing on the result.
Speaker: Because of that, I ended up taking things a lot for granted. I didn't really see how far I've came since I first started. But now I try to make it a practice to sit with my pottery, be proud of my pottery, and do things that show my gratitude to my growth. So I make time
Speaker: However, maybe once a week, once a month, once every three months, make time to just sit and see how far you have come. Be proud of the part of what you are making. You know, you could be so much less, but right now you have to be proud of what you are making.
Speaker: Be proud of what you're making, whatever is that you're making. Maybe you're making a bowl. Maybe it's that you just got to start making larger vases. Maybe you started sculpting, maybe you started hand building. Be proud of what you're making. Be proud of the progress you have made. I hope you guys enjoy this episode and I'll see you guys in the next one.
Speaker: We hope you enjoyed this episode of Shaping Your Pottery with Nick Torres. Do you have questions about pottery that you'd like Nick to answer? Send them to us on Instagram at Nick Torres underscore pottery. We'll see you next time.
