Back to the Wheel Soon
After about a week away from the wheel, I can feel the pull to get back into the rhythm of making pots. The fall shows are coming fast, and I need to start filling the shelves. Rest was good, but the clay is waiting, and it will not center itself. I keep thinking of the new forms I picked up from the pottery class and how I might work them into my lineup. It is always exciting to bring new ideas to the table, especially since many of the locals who stop by already have mugs or bowls from me. Variety keeps me curious and keeps others interested.
Being away reminded me how quickly time slips when I am not making. Shows do not wait, deadlines do not pause, and clay will dry whether I touch it or not. It is easy to stall thinking about what I missed, but the truth is the next pot is what matters. One pot leads to another, and before long the shelves are full again. My plan is to start small, get the wheel moving again, and let the rhythm of the work carry me into what comes next.
A Different Kind of Making
One day this month, I set the clay aside and tried something completely different. I got the idea to create an app that would help potters with cost analysis. I had no clue where to begin, so I asked ChatGPT to teach me like I was five. Step by step, we pieced together a simple framework. It was not pottery, but it scratched the same itch. A blank screen can feel a lot like a lump of clay — awkward at first, but with small corrections it begins to take shape.
The whole exercise was surprisingly relaxing and fun. Even if it never grows into a finished tool, it reminded me that creativity shows up in more than one place. The same habits I use in the studio — patience, persistence, and problem solving — worked here too. Stepping away from clay for a while gave me a fresh perspective. When I came back, I felt ready to start again with clearer focus. Sometimes distraction is not wasted time at all, but another form of making.
On Gratitude and Urgency
This month I found myself thinking about gratitude more than usual. There were years when I had very little, and I still know how to get by with almost nothing. Those memories remind me not to take anything for granted. The roof over my head, the studio, even the job at the paper factory could all change tomorrow. Gratitude is not about pretending life is easy, it is about remembering that what feels normal now might not last.
At the same time, I carry urgency with me every day. It has been like this for five years — a feeling that time is short and that I need to make, write, and share before the chance slips away. That urgency pushes me, but it can also wear me down. Gratitude keeps me grounded while urgency keeps me moving. Holding both at once is not easy, but it keeps me creating.
Start with Empathy
Empathy has saved me more times than I can count. At the paper factory, a machine breaks down and the first reaction is frustration. If I stop and think about it from the perspective of the person fixing it, or even the person who designed it, the pressure eases. In the studio, a cracked pot is not the clay’s fault, it is just reacting to the way I treated it. When I start with empathy — for people, for the process, even for myself — it changes the whole picture.
Empathy also matters when working with other artists. Our fair booth worked because we started with the idea that everyone was doing their best. That gave us patience with each other when we were tired or stressed. Empathy does not mean lowering standards or avoiding hard truths, it means treating people and situations with care instead of force. When I start there, things always go better.
Late but Still Showing Up
Some nights I am late, but I still write. That is the point of these Pottery Dailies. Even when I am tired or stretched thin, a page filled is better than a page left blank. Writing late, even when it feels rushed, keeps me in the rhythm of showing up. The same goes for pottery. Even if I only wedge a little clay or trim one piece, it counts.
Resistance is always loudest when a project is close to being done, but the cure is to keep moving. These dailies are a commitment I made to myself. Keeping them going, even late, means I do not lose the habit. Tomorrow’s work always comes easier when today’s is done.
Respect in the Studio and in Life
Respect is easier to notice when it is missing than when it is present. At the factory, leaders who listen earn it, and managers who bark orders lose it. The same lesson shows up in clay. You cannot force it into shape. It needs to be handled with care, met halfway, and respected. Every failure in pottery is a reminder of what happens when respect slips — a cracked bottom, a warped wall, a kiln load gone wrong.
I saw respect at work at the Harford Fair. Our collective booth came together because everyone’s work was valued and given space. We were tired, but we trusted one another enough to push through. Respect is not about agreement, it is about giving care to the process and the people involved. With respect, even small efforts take on weight and meaning. Without it, nothing stands for long.
Until next time,
Alford Wayman
Artist/ Owner
Connect with Creek Road Pottery LLC
Website | Shop | Blue Sky | Instagram | Facebook | Newsletter
Upcoming Events
- Susquehanna Artist Open House Weekend
October 11th–13th, 2025
Location 27: Country Trails Brewing Co.
19815 PA-706, Montrose, PA 18801 - The Pumpkin Trail / Creek Road Pottery Fall Show 2025
October 17th–19th, 2025
Creek Road Pottery
917 Creek Road, Laceyville, PA 18623
