The Extra-Ordinary

This blog post (and blog revival for that matter came) to be through a pretty great day. 

A friend asked me to attend a local pottery market on a Sunday afternoon. The weather was warmer than it has been in a few days and it was a very attractive offer as I have been interested in getting into pottery. The thought of creating something with my hands seemed appealing to myself, as I have a tendency to enjoy making things from scratch. The idea of getting into a new hobby is always an enticing and exciting idea. 

The moment we walked into the market with tables full of pottery, a wave of emotion came over me. Knowing that each of these items were made by hand was so satisfying. It was grounding and awe-inspiring. It was daring to know that such items for the home were made literally from clay and worked with the love and care that it takes to create a beautiful piece of art. 

Each piece looked extraordinarily unique. I use the word extraordinary with intention because each piece was so ordinary sitting next to each other it almost made you glaze over all of them at once, as many pieces sat on the table. But each piece is so extra ordinary (two words - extra ordinary, or super ordinary), that it truly made each one extraordinary. The curves, waves, shapes, colours, textures, of each individual piece may be typical of all pottery and standard to the art, but when you consider how different, unique and prized each individual piece is, they simply become extraordinary. It is incredible that something so simple could be that basic yet original. I know it's just pottery, but that's what makes it extraordinary. 

It's in the simple things, the ordinary, that the extraordinary is found. That’s what I felt when I walked into that room. An extraordinary presence of the ordinary; really just simple pottery, each with a flare of their own. 

Such an experience brought me back to what I make with my own hands, which are my toques. Each toque is made by hand with simple ordinary yarn and a pompom, and yet they work together to make something extraordinarily special. The satisfaction of making something with my hands, similar to pottery, brought me back to why I created 490Knits. It is to create something satisfying and simple. To make a kind of warmth that fills the soul because it is gratifying. Something simple that is truly extraordinary. Just like pottery, I love to make items with my hands because of the extraordinary nature of handmade items. It always keeps me coming back for more.

Until next time,
Jensen