Process

Clay is a slow medium. It allows you to do things on it's own fickle time frame that changes based on the weather, where and how long ago the clay was dug from the earth, and a myriad of other factors. Rush the drying time and it may crack in protest.

Pottery is a process heavy endeavor and each step has it's own unique timing. And the process is one of the things that drew me to ceramics in the first place. I work best with deadlines and schedules and ceramic work comes with them built in. If I want something to ship out for a friend's birthday in a month, I know that I have to start it now to make room from drying time plus two firings. And I also know that I need to make a spare in case something goes wrong with the first.