When I was in high school, an English teacher handed me back a paper I wrote with the note "It's called grammar" written across the top. I don't remember the grade, but the handwritten message has stuck with me for 30+ years. It has convinced me I am not a writer and I should not attempt to express myself through words. The note left a pretty deep scar I am still thinking about today. I don't hold it against the teacher, and while I think she could have been a bit more graceful with how she let me know my sentence structure needed work, I can also imagine all the crap papers she was reading and grading of her students....students learning to write.
Besides wanting to share some behind the scenes thoughts about ceramics and my process, another reason I decided to start this blog was to practice writing. I doubt this blog will ever have a large audience, but that doesn't mean it can't be a useful tool for me to learn what works and what doesn't. As touched on above, I've convinced myself I can't write. But just like with ceramics, it takes practice and time to build up confidence and to find your voice. I'm sure I'll be able to look back at early posts and see how I've progressed. Similar to seeing how my mugs have evolved with practice and incorporating feedback I've received over the years.
"Strength exercised equals more strength.Weakness indulged equals more weakness."-The Authentic Life by Ezra Bayda
There are so many quotes and saying along this theme, and it all amounts to the same thing. We get better with time, commitment, and practice. It's important to not get ahead of ourselves and think we will be perfect from the beginning. If anyone ever tells you, you are not good at something you love, don't let it stop or scar you, instead take it as a challenge to prove them wrong. And don't wait 30 years.