are you creating or are you just following instructions?

as i’m pet sitting right now at a friend’s house, i saw this spiral bowl (photos) i made once in a hand building pottery class a few years ago. it was my first hand building project i ever built, was a bit of a ~journey (anxiety, stress…some tears, you know, the usual), and the bowl is totally imperfect in all its glory.

i gifted it to a friend who appreciates it more than i do. personally, when i see it it brings back memories i don’t like. the project was someone else’s idea… i just followed their steps and used my hands to build their idea. since i’ve been exploring hand built ceramics more this year, naturally i got to reminiscing a bit and then wrote this essay in relation to the experience but also something i think is key when it comes to ‘creating’ anything.

following instructions may be a good way to learn but if you stick to the rules too closely you’re actually using a totally different part of your brain that isn’t creativity, and it won’t benefit you later on.

—mal