You walk into the pottery studio—put on your apron, grab a bucket of water, some clay, and tools. Then you head to the wheel and just think about the clay.
In pottery you can let your mind run free. You don’t have to worry about things being perfect. Just think about your hands on the clay.
At Venice High many years ago, there used to be a pottery class. I really wish I had an opportunity to take one here.
Art teacher Christopher Wright loved taking pottery class growing up.
“It was my favorite class in high school,” he said.
According to Wright, Venice High shut down their pottery facilities after Prop 13 in the 1980s. Proposition 13 decreased property taxes, causing school funding to drop very low in California.
“They had three giant kilns in the back, so they were doing a lot of production here,” said Wright.
As a ceramics student, I think having pottery in high schools would have very positive effects on students. For me, pottery is a therapeutic experience. It gives my mind a break from any stress I’m dealing with.
When I go to my pottery studio, Good Dirt L.A., there is soft music playing. The soft music mixed with the whirring of the wheel creates a nice tune. Everyone there minds their own business; we all get our supplies and start working peacefully.
Amber Glancy, studio tech and instructor at Good Dirt L.A., said that there are more adults that go to Good Dirt L.A. than teens.
In my class, I am the youngest by a lot. I feel like more teens that are interested in pottery should be able to have the resources in schools to pursue this hobby.
I was given a gift certificate to my pottery studio when I was 8. And it was a great gift. If I didn’t get that gift, I probably wouldn’t be doing pottery now.
I wish that more people could find out about pottery, and get the resources through school to do ceramics.
I’ve been doing pottery for about 4-5 years. I haven’t done it consistently. I’ve done it off and on. Luckily, I feel like pottery isn’t something you can easily forget how to do. Once your hands are on the clay again, and your mind is in pottery mode, you kind of just remember the steps.
Freshman Scarlett Johnson, who did pottery for a short time at a studio called Hands In Clay L.A. said that she found out about pottery on TikTok, and decided that she wanted to give it a try.
Johnson said the first thing she ever made was a cup.
“I got the clay, made a hole, and then I messed up and had to restart,” said Johnson. After she got it fixed, she felt very accomplished, she said, “I took a picture and showed it to all my friends.”
That is one of the best things about pottery—feeling accomplished.
