I’ve always believed that creativity isn’t about the absence of mistakes, but rather what you choose to do with them. My recent foray into wheel throwing pottery underscored this belief in a rather unexpected way. It all started with a goal to craft a closed vessel, which ambitiously transformed into an attempt at making a lidded jar. And well, let’s just say things didn’t go according to plan.
The vessel wasn’t the success I had envisioned. There was something about the form that didn’t quite click. But before I let disappointment settle in, I remembered the wise words of the much-loved painter Bob Ross, “We don’t make mistakes; we have happy accidents.”
This became a pivot point for me, turning a perceived failure into an opportunity for whimsical reinvention.
The birth of a goblin
With a heart open to possibilities, I began practicing the intricate art of sgraffito on the vessel’s surface. The delicate carving process felt almost meditative, as if I was peeling away the layers of my initial setback to reveal something new. It was during this mindful excavation that a playful image emerged from the clay: a goblin. This unexpected figure took a life of its own, evolving into a goblin-shaped incense burner. When finished and fired, I was delighted to find that the goblin worked perfectly – complete with smoke whimsically billowing from his head and nose.
The piece now sits proudly on my shelf, not as a reminder of what could have been but as a testament to the beauty of the creative process. It embodies the wonder of personal expression and the joy of embracing the twists and turns of artistry. Every puff of incense smoke that rises from the goblin’s head is like a dance of joy, celebrating the beauty of imperfection and the serendipitous journey of creation.
In pottery, as in all creative endeavors, it’s not the flawless execution but the genuine expression that holds the most profound beauty. Like the strokes of Bob Ross’s brush, which turned blunders into mountains and spills into rivers, the goblin incense burner stands as a charming tribute to the philosophy that every mistake is a step in the dance of creation.
So, to anyone out there hesitating at the threshold of creation, fearful of making a mistake: leap into your craft with all the passion in your heart. Remember that within every happy accident lies the potential for something truly wonderful. And perhaps, like my goblin incense burner, you’ll find that the mishaps along the way are not just part of the journey—they can lead to outcomes even more beloved than your original vision.
