Embracing the unexpected (in this case, a pottery wheel)

When I woke up this morning, I had no idea I was going to have a pottery lesson today. But by lunchtime, there I was, legs clamped around a pottery wheel, hands covered in clay, throwing (or rather attempting to throw) a pot! All thanks to my new friend and upstairs neighbour, Rajiv.

The funny thing about when you start to embrace a creative life is that somehow you attract others who also have that creative spirit. Rajiv had heard me playing piano so when we met each other coming into our apartment building the other week, we got chatting.  I invited him to the Munich Creative Group breakfast meet-up this morning, where I found out that (as well as his numerous talents for acting, screen-writing and opera singing) he is a potter. Next thing you know, he’s teaching me how to throw a pot!


Aside from a brief stint in the late 1980s down at the local arts centre, I’ve really never done any pottery, normally preferring to stay in the 2D realm of the arts. But I’m all for trying and learning new things and, even though I didn't actually succeed in making anything other than a mess, it was a lot of fun. But the main thing I took away from my pottery 101 lesson is that, as with many creative pursuits, it's a form of meditation. You have to be present in the moment; still and calm, yet focused and never letting the ever-spinning wheel distract you. And I think that’s a lesson we can all apply in life generally.

Here’s Rajiv showing how it should be done.