I have to admit I was nervous and excited at the same time as I planned my trip to Penland School of Craft.  I’m a bit introverted and really enjoy being solitary (especially if one of my dogs is around) so the idea of communal living was cause for concern.  Who likes dorm living and communal showers?  And I have food issues.  I’m a vegetarian who doesn’t like beans or tofu.  I could starve to death in my two week stay!  I was also worried that the pottery that I made would not be seen as good.

Then I reminded myself that I was going there for me, to improve my art, to learn and to grow.  So I packed up the truck with some clothes, pottery tools, two weeks worth of granola bars and a bag of chips and set my GPS to the mountains of western North Carolina.

Some of the pots I made at Penland

The dorms were actually pretty nice, the beds did not hurt my back and the cool mountain air was conducive to a good night’s sleep.  As a natural 6:30am riser I always had the bathroom to myself.  The food was wonderful, I ate more and better than I normally would at home.  The granola bars & chips returned to Atlanta untouched.  I did not make the best pots I ever made.  I experimented with everything starting with using new clay bodies up to using different firing techniques.  And although my experiments didn’t bring perfect results in the class I was able to teach my instructor something she had been challenged with doing and the pieces that I’ve made in my own studio are better for the instruction, the experimenting and the risking.

I risked, I learned,  I made new friends, I experienced things I may never have experienced. I grew.

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Lori Buff is a successful artist and website designer from East Atlanta Village where she lives with her partner and five dogs. Lori enjoys working in the garden, riding motorcycles and doing volunteer work but when she's not busy running around, she can be found engrossed in a good book.
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