In this day and age, it’s easy to get caught up with the virtual vortex. But it’s good to plug off once in a while and focus on a single activity that requires no screen time.
Pottery, as they say, is the perfect antidote to the online world. I never quite looked into pottery as a possible hobby due to its fuddy-duddy reputation, but all that changed after a one-off session with the founder of Good Times DIY Studio, Norbert Wong.
Never did I think working with wet clay would give me such joy. For a few hours, my mind was fully focused on being creative and with my hands fully covered in clay, any social media updates or work emails would just have to wait.
At the studio located in Paradigm Mall, all are welcome to try out the classes they offer. Best to come dressed in pants (for the ladies) as pottery making requires you to sit in a certain position that won’t be practical if you are dressed in a skirt. The first thing I learned about pottery is how important it is to control your hand movements - it requires patience and focus to truly shape or mold the clay into a desired shape, be it a bowl, cup, vase and so on.
I imagine this is a hobby that puts everyone equal to one another – no matter what you do in life, when you come here, you learn the same skills from the ground up.
Once you really get lost in the clay, it becomes therapeutic. While things can go wrong, you will quickly learn from your mistakes.
As for my session with Norbert, I learned to make a small bowl. A bowl or a cup is what the studio will recommend you start with before you proceed with a more complicated ceramic.
All around the studio, there are simple step-by-step instructions for you to follow, but don’t worry as there will be someone to guide you along the way.
Once I am done with shaping the bowl, it will go through multiple steps such as trimming, firing in the kiln, glazing before we actually see the final outcome. This is what’s unique about pottery, you’re never quite sure of the outcome you’ll get.
To make a simple ceramic bowl would take you about two weeks to complete.
But it’s this slow, meaningful process that reminds you to slow down in life. There are no shortcuts to making a successful ceramic.
In these challenging times, pottery offers a way to slow down and be calm. It teaches you to be present in the moment.
Is pottery an expensive hobby? I wouldn’t deny it. Would I go back for more? Absolutely.
Check out the social media pages of Good Times DIY Studio to learn more about what they offer.