Hi friends!
I am currently writing this blog post on a plane (as a draft to be published later when I have wi-fi) because I couldn’t stop thinking about my favorite experience from my spring break trip to Phoenix, Arizona.
This was not my first time in AZ (I think this is my 11th year going over spring break??), but it was one of my favorites. We held a surprise party for my grandpa’s 80th birthday, and it was a surprise when my sister and I flew out to see him. I loved spending quality time with him and the rest of my family. It was a much-needed emotional recharge, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the time I spent with them. It helped that the weather was absolutely beautiful while I was there, so I got plenty of sun and Vitamin D, which I’ve been missing severely.
Although spending time with my family was great, my favorite part of this trip was actually a pottery wheel class that my step-mom booked for our family of 4. We arrived at the studio mid-morning and finished up in the early afternoon, and just those few hours really put into perspective how often I’m running on empty.
Learning about the process of pottery is not new to me, but it was refreshing to revisit it. We got our instructions and got to work, but with no requirements or deadline in mind. This peaceful kind of work, with no real expectations, was incredibly healing for my mind, as I usually feel like a hamster running on a wheel with no end in sight.
Bending, manipulating, sculpting, and smoothing the clay from a one-pound mass into a work of art was a wonderful way to step back and realize how awesome it is to make something so beautiful with your own two hands. Now, my pieces might not be “art” as they are more functional than anything, but they’re mine. They were thrown with the pressure of my hands, sculpted with my fingers, and smoothed with my fingertips. You can’t ever replicate them exactly as they were made.
I think this kind of individuality and beauty is something I’ve been lacking in life lately. All of my designs are created on my computer and printed on a machine. Anyone could copy what I’m doing as long as they have the tools. And now, with a surge of AI taking over social media, marketing, and branding, even an algorithm could copy what I’m doing.
This type of thinking can quickly turn dark, so I am opting to reframe it. I’m not an algorithm or a tool, and everything that I make is uniquely mine. It might follow common design principles, use the same font as someone else, or be in the same format, but it is mine as long as I use my own hands and brain to turn the idea into a finished product.
It might take me longer to design something than it does for an AI program or someone using a template, but that doesn’t mean my work isn’t worth the time. Design is inherently emotional, and that is something a program can’t feel. Being patient with yourself while designing and creating, whether for work or for personal projects, is incredibly important.
Alright. I feel like I finally got all my thoughts out. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to use the rest of this flight to take a nap.
Here’s a few pictures from the pottery class (ignore the sunburn please):
