At the age of 24, when I started to practice pottery, I didn't know how hard the pottery was.
I believed that I was able to make good works soon because I had seen various craft and art works from my childhood with my parents, who are craftsmen too.
As I focused on only the environment in which I grew up, I didn't understand that I had to practice again and again to acquire stable technical basement.
In addition, I felt that physical practices such as potter's wheel, making clay and wedging were so hard that I didn't want to train everyday.
Of course, It didn't go well as I had thought wishfully.
While it likely seems that pottery is artistic and exciting job and its success depends on innate artistic talent, actually, it is very hard physical job, and extremely speaking, artistic talent doesn't no matter.
So, only just training and learning were needed for improvement, experiences of which I was proud were no practical use.
It may seem overstatement, my body was short of power to make things with clay and handle clay properly at that time.
As if a large wall loomed ahead of me.
But, I had wanted to make good works, which had well designed beautiful shapes and were easy to use for in daily life.
I had wanted to be a craftsman who is good at potter's wheel.
What should I do to improve pottery's skills and sensibility?
It is body, not a idea, that makes things. In short, my hands, arms, back, lower back, legs and of course, my brain are tools for making pottery. I tried to regard my body just as a tool to make something from clay, and I thought...
"Yes, let's rebuild my body!"
And, I decided to exercise to build up my body at age of 33.
I believed that the stable body must enable me to make stable works.
I believed that the beautiful muscle must enable me to make beautiful works.
This is why I do exercises such as muscle training, running, swimming and cycling.
Actually, I have improved my skills, especially making things on potter's wheel, by building up my body.
Furthermore, as exercise is useful for brain de-stress, it could solve a bit of problems and I could be positive.
I have worked sincerely and fought against myself and others in this way for 17 years.
I'd like to continue to exercise for one of the ways of improvement my skills and want to make more beautiful things.
There are as many ways of working style, goals and minds as there are craftsmen.
This is my style.
Now, I am grateful to work as a craftsman.
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