Last night, while drinking coffee, my mom and I got slightly irritated by the ring marks my hot mug kept leaving on our wooden table.
That small moment inspired me to make a mug coaster.
So this morning, right after my quiet time, I went straight to my clay room and started working.
The first thing I did was grab my wooden hammer and break apart my hardened clay.
It was rock solid because it had been months since I last touched it.
I mixed the broken clay with water until it softened, then kneaded it until it became workable again. I think that process alone took around fifteen minutes.
After that, I started shaping the clay into a circle.
I used my coffee mug as a template to make sure it would fit properly.
Hand-building feels very different from wheel throwing, and I’m honestly not used to it yet. It took me a while to shape everything properly.
I also added a slightly raised lip around the edge so the mug wouldn’t slide around while using it.
Looking back, I probably should’ve approached the process more methodically.
That’s usually how I naturally work.
I should’ve sketched the design first instead of just improvising everything as I went.
But anyway, I’ll do that on the next project.
Right now, the coaster is in the drying stage, and I’m just hoping it doesn’t crack.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are issues because I made most of it through instinct alone.
But overall… omg, I genuinely love what I made.
It feels very wabi-sabi to me. Hehehe.
And strangely enough, I also realized how satisfied I am now with what my hands can do.
Around 5–6 years ago, I used to feel deeply insecure because I felt like I couldn’t create or fix anything with my hands.
All I knew was physical therapy.
Whenever we had problems at home—broken wiring, damaged furniture, random household issues—I never knew how to fix anything.
We would usually just end up replacing things altogether.
As a man, I always wished I had learned more practical and hands-on skills growing up.
But I was raised to focus almost entirely on academics and studying.
I think that’s why learning crafts matters so much to me now.
I don’t want to feel useless again.
Maybe none of these hobbies will lead anywhere financially, maybe they will.
But even if they don’t, I still get to heal a part of myself through learning them.
And that matters to me.
I want to continue creating.
I want to reach the point where I can make a living through things created by my own hands.
There are still so many interests I want to explore.
And somehow, I want to figure out how to build a life through creating.