After many years of collecting and using thrown pottery, I took my first class in 2019 and in spite of making only 3 items that term, I kept taking classes. It did not take long to feel the connection to my fellow potters and to the clay and for throwing at the wheel to become a solace. Pottery has been both a refuge and a challenge, showing me where I am in life and what I need, offering me lessons in problem solving in three dimensions, and reminding me that the creative process, not the outcome, is what is important. I hope to expand my knowledge of gas reduction firing and glazes and explore wood firing. In pottery, there is always something to learn, even after you think you know how it will turn out. It is a process of letting go, being humble, and embracing change.