I have always loved traditional crafts.

In fact, this is one of the reasons why I enjoy writing software. I view it as a kind of craft which requires a lot of creativity, care and attention.

A sense of touch

Unlike other crafts however, what I create is intangible. You can produce beautifully written code, you can see it working (or crashing 😱) and deploy it somewhere for it to do something useful but unfortunately you cannot pick it up in your hands and go…

Oh yes, it has a nice weight to it!

When working on major software projects, I often feel I wish I could have something physical to show for my work. This feeling has always been a source of slight frustration for me in my line of work.

A few years ago, I began my search to remedy this.

I tried leatherwork. I made a pen case (which I still use) and a key cover (to name a couple) but my passion withered away after a few months.

Software to tableware

It was at a craft fair when I first came across Cardiff Pottery Workshops.

In order to find out what pottery was really like, I enrolled on one of their six week throwing courses and I am glad I did.

I vividly remember coming home feeling so satisfyingly exhausted after my first lesson. I could not recall the last time I had concentrated so intensely!

Before long I knew pottery, or more specifically throwing on the wheel, was something I wanted to get better at.

In the summer of 2018 I became a member at Cardiff Pottery Workshops so that I could practise more frequently.

Ikigai?

For me it was due to the intangible nature of software products that I discovered pottery.

Maybe pottery has become my ikigai. 🤔

How did you get into pottery?

I would be interested to hear your story!