There is no instant gratification in working with clay. It will sag, or crack, or crumble if you try to hurry it up. In this way, it forces patience and gives to you instant feedback if you are being too impatient. It’s a good thing for a new student to be reminded that patience is an essential part of the learning process, and that there is a right time for everything. Don’t rush, but be prepared for each step and move calmly to the next one.
Practicing patience as a learned behavior gets easier as you continue to work with clay. It becomes easier to wait for the perfect consistency, to wait for the piece to stiffen up, or to wait for the right moment to do the next thing. You will learn that some of your best decisions are based on waiting. It can save you from the need for corrections later on. It can save you from having to start over. If you are patient and wait for the right time, you will learn to not make mistakes that cost you time.
Another way that clay teaches patience is through failure. The wall falls over or the piece is too lopsided. A pot collapses or a sculptural element is off balance. Instead of getting frustrated or feeling like a failure, you can rebuild or reshape. You will learn more through this act than you will through any amount of instruction. The correction itself will teach you and help you with your next decision. If you are patient and view failure as an opportunity, you will not see failure as a bad thing.
Patience also teaches you that small steps and slow and steady wins the race. You don’t notice improvement as much as you notice that what was once difficult is no longer so hard. You notice that you can throw a pot that is much more symmetrical than you once could. You notice that you have more control over the clay and your tools. And you notice that you are much more confident in your abilities. All of this comes with patience. With patience you will not notice improvement so much as you will feel it. And it will feel wonderful.
Patience is essential in learning about clay. But clay also teaches you about patience and the role it plays in learning. Instead of a virtue that you must bring to the table, patience becomes a virtue that grows from working with clay. It becomes a tool that you use to make learning easier and more effective. It is a mindset that helps you to focus, persist and trust. And in the end, it helps you to learn.