I first started making pottery and sculpture with clay while taking my first ceramic class at my high school.

This sculpture almost didn’t happen. In my class, my teacher taught me all the basics and we weren’t allowed to put things in the kiln unless approved. I understood this because if we did something wrong it could blow up and destroy other projects. She looked at my sculpted lady and didn’t allow it to be fired because it was outside of what she had taught us and was afraid it would blow up.

After class, I snuck it in the kiln when no one was in the room. I was very confident it wasn’t going to blow up for I had researched the technique I used. It was hallowed and had holes punched in it to allow air to escape as it was being cooked. When everything was fired she pulled mine out and was shocked I had gone against her wishes, however she was also surprisingly impressed and happy it came out and everything was safe.

This experience was crucial for me as an artist because it made me realize how confident I was in my technique and how I was able to take initiative for my artwork, even if it meant breaking the rules. As artists, we challenge the normality and to create we have to push through the barriers we face.