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Tom & EZ Budzak | Episode 726
Tom Buczak is back, but this time he came to The Potters Cast to talk about what it is like to make ceramics with his son, EZ. In this show notes page you will see the work of both Tom and EZ.
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Have you seen that by being involved with creativity like the ceramics, have you seen that it has been a key tool to develop his fine motor skills?
I mean it’s good for his fine motor skills. I think it is a good addition, yeah.
Do you find that it helps him with problem solving in general?
I think ceramics is a good problem solving thing especially the wheel where there are steps to be successful and seeing that process. I am sure that helps.
Someone said, You can’t outlearn the learned when you are the teacher. In other words, you end up learning so much when you are teaching. Have you found that to be the case in working with your son?
I think he is more willing to learn. You definitely get to an age where you expect things to come quickly. An adult is going to want to be like watch you do the steps and be like, Okay, I am going to go do it and I am going to do it the same way and it’s going to turn out great. And it never does when you are first learning, right? You have to put in time and repetition and practice to make that good cylinder or bowl or whatever. But a child or even a teenager, they are more willing to accept failure as a success sometimes, you know? Like being able to have anything produced is a win. Whereas with some of my adults they will make good work but they will be so unhappy with it they don’t see they are progressing and getting better. So it is nice to have someone who is so will to be like, I made this! This is great!
Has he had any failures that have been too big of a disappointment for him?
I mean all the time but in ceramics not really. He will have a piece chip off of a sculpture or something and be upset about that but not really, no. He is just kind of happy that he made something. There will be times when he is throwing something an it gets too thin or he pushes too hard and it gets floppy and he has to smash it. It is so funny to him that he as to smash it and start over it’s cool and it doesn’t matter. He goes, Ahh, I messed up. Hahaha.
Do you ever want to try to teach big life lessons while you are in a creative place with him?
No. No, I just want him to have fun and enjoy the moment. No, I am not doing that.
Does your son have a favorite piece that you have made?
That I have made? That’s a great question. I don’t know. That’s a super good question. I guess no, not specifically. Because he has never said, I really love that piece. He is always super impressed when I sell anything. He’s like, You sold that? Wow! Someone bought that? I’m like, Come on buddy, I’m okay, it’s not that bad.
Actually, I know. He really does like my bubble sculptures. Like my wall sculptures. He likes those a lot because they look like how bubbles look when they drop on the floor. He does like those a lot.
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Instagram: @budzak