No one has yet suggested a June challenge, so I thought Iโd throw an idea into the ring ๐
After my recent visit with Lucy at West2Ceramics, we were chatting about doing a glaze challenge where a randomizer chooses 2โ3 glazes for us to put directly onto a finished piece ๐ณ
Now for some people, that probably sounds completely normalโฆ but for me? Absolutely not ๐คฃ I ALWAYS test first. Always. So the idea of surrendering control and glazing an actual piece with combinations I havenโt carefully planned genuinely makes me feel anxious.
But it also made me realise somethingโฆ
So much growth seems to happen when we push slightly beyond the things that feel safe and comfortable.
Sometimes we avoid things because they genuinely intimidate us a little:
โข a process
โข a technique
โข a glaze
โข a form
โข sharing our work publicly
โข joining a live call
โข starting a YouTube channel
โข speaking up in the community
โข trying something we might โfailโ at
And yet when we finally take that step, we often end up experiencing things we never otherwise would have.
Sometimes itโs a beautiful result. Sometimes itโs learning. Sometimes itโs confidence. Sometimes itโs simply realising:โจ โActuallyโฆ I CAN do this.โ โจ
What I love so much about this community is how we all seem to help each other grow in different ways every single day ๐
So rather than making this just a glaze randomizer challenge, I wondered if June could simply become:
โจ Push Past Your Comfort Zone โจ
Your challenge can be completely personal to YOU.
Maybe that means:
โข trying a new process or technique
โข using glazes you normally avoid
โข experimenting with a form youโve never attempted
โข handbuilding instead of wheel throwing
โข carving, texture or decoration
โข finally reglazing that failed piece
โข posting your work online more
โข joining a Skool call for the first time
โข starting a YouTube or Instagram account
โข or letting randomness choose your glazes ๐
This isnโt about perfection. Its about experimenting, learning, sharing and maybe surprising ourselves a little along the way ๐
My own challenge? Letting randomness choose glaze combinations directly onto finished pieces instead of test tiles ๐ณ๐คฃ But then I also have some others I may also try....take that plunge...never made a lidded vessel before - it makes me hesitant for some reason!
Would anybody else like to join in?