Hello, Makers!
My name is Haley Moten and I am one among many happy creatives here at Make Nashville. I’ve had the pleasure of writing our Meet the Maker pieces on a monthly basis and I wanted to take a moment this month to introduce myself.
I became a Make Nashville member in October of last year with the intent of learning how to throw pottery on the wheel. Since then, not only have I been able to achieve that goal, I have also been able to explore the various other maker stations within the maker space. After all, how could I not?! With the open layout, I was immediately able to see the glow ignited by welders in the metal shop, hear the sound of a table saw slicing wood that was about to meet it’s destiny as a table top, and see beautiful shapes emerge from beneath the CNC machine.
With all of this going on, my curiosity got the best of me; Before I knew it, on any given day, my hands were either covered in clay, pulling down on a miter saw, or learning how to properly use a welding gun. Additionally, I was quick to explore the music studio, the sewing room and see 3D printers at work. Simply put, for the past three months, I found the place where I belong in our bustling city… the creative bug within me finally had found its playground and I my days began to shape themselves around my time spent indulging in, well, whatever I wanted to at the shop!
However, most of that time went into the hours I spent behind the pottery wheel. For years now, learning how to throw pottery has been at the top of my list. Why it took me so long to finally learn remains a mystery but, for whatever reason that might have been, I am constantly thankful I decided to give it a go when I did because otherwise, I may not have discovered Make Nashville.
Since becoming a member, not only have I had the freedom to learn and grow creatively but I have been welcomed into a community of inspiring, friendly and motivating individuals whom I am lucky enough to call my friends. Being able to create within a community of like-minded individuals is truly an incredible experience.
As for my newfound passion for pottery, it was simply the best to get right into the fun of it. Though I could have taken a class before I began my potting journey, as a learn-through-trial-and-error type of gal, the freedom I had sitting at the pottery wheel and experimenting with various methods to my satisfaction was uniquely liberating. I finally had an outlet to forget about the outside world, lose all track of time, and play with clay to my heart’s content. This hobby is some of the most fun I’ve had since moving to Nashville a little over a year ago.
While my pottery game was nowhere near proficient when I began, by careful observation of advanced potters in the workspace and through their patience with my endless questions about their techniques, I am proud to say that I now know how to make some pretty cool pieces! Of course, I will always be learning and I am far from expert-level, but the fact that I was able to learn this new skill because of the incredible potters around me, is pretty awesome.
Bottom line is that Make Nashville provided me with a community and a passion that now fills my soul in a special way. And now the one question I have for you is, if you aren’t already a member or if you have yet to check out this one-of-a-kind place, what the heck are you waiting for?!
