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The difference between teaching and nurturing

Is it the case that answers to questions be revealed?


About 40 years ago, when the topic of my being accepted as his apprentice was initially raised, my master responded along the following lines:


“Basically, there is nothing that I can teach you because I feel that your father already knows everything. Put differently, you are in a different position to my other prospective apprentices because they have been raised by adults working at rank-and-file companies. In your case, however, your ability to succeed as a potter will boil down solely to your own perseverance.”


To put that into perspective, what he seemed to be recommending was that I cut to the chase and hang out my own shingle immediately. I took such feedback positively, and after thinking overnight with my father about what had been said, I followed my master’s suggestion. Thus, from that point on, nobody taught me anything in particular during my apprenticeship, I instead commenced producing my own pieces at a frenetic pace. If I think back on that, what I ended up doing would perhaps now be considered rather straightforward. However, at the time, it was not the norm. Although I had thought that up until that point, I possessed originality, in reality, because nobody really taught me anything, it was from that point on that my artistic distinctiveness came to life. I am somebody who was taught from elementary school, through junior high and senior high, and then at a cram school and finally a vocational college. Since embarking on my career, however, it has not really been the case that more senior potters have attempted to teach me much.


As to on-the-job training and the acquisition of skills in a profession like mine, it is often said that such occurs via “stealing with one’s eyes.” What that actually means is that much can be learned by watching more experienced potters at work. Concerning my own experiences, I really got a sense of such a mentality when taking on my own apprentices.


In that I personally experienced some difficulty in that a lot was not taught to me during my own apprenticeship, when I became responsible for the training of my own charges, I instructed them both carefully and attentively. Such included teaching them how to move their fingertips millimeter-by-millimeter, how to correctly roll their wrists, and how to control spatula angles, etc. Obviously, some of my apprentices could not do such things. Indeed, if they could do so from the outset, they would not have needed me to train them. When they finally succeeded, it was at that point that they could replicate my own tastes.


Again, to recollect on my own development, at a certain point, I was surprised to notice that my own style had been given life. Concurrently, I also realized that such represented something that could not have been taught.


When much younger, for no particular reason at all, I was in the habit of sometimes visiting my master at home. When going to see him, I would carry with me something I had been working on in the hope that he would evaluate my efforts, whether they were good or bad. That is all I wished. On some occasions, however, he offered no feedback at all. Rather, I was left to judge his facial expression as I started unwrapping what I wished him to see. Put differently, he was not the type of person to suggest specific improvements about my pieces or the glazes that I selected. Likewise, in that my master knew all the answers, I sometimes thought that I might have received recommendations. However, I never thought to raise such queries myself. Rather, it was usually the case that I would take my pieces home; and following some days of indecision and anguish, I would then implement my own improvements.


Personally, it can be rather easy for me to provide younger colleagues with answers to their questions. Likewise, it can be rather difficult to keep one’s own counsel. For the convenience of a quick result, I can well understand the desire of people to receive answers then and there. I also appreciate that I will be thanked if I oblige. However, concerning the relationship between teaching and being taught, I only go as far as is required by the basics. I say that because it is important not to be overgenerous when passing on knowledge. Rather it is kinder and more important to leave something for whoever is being taught to discover themselves.


Finally, I would like to say that I feel greatly indebted, both to my master and my fellow apprentices, who played a part in nurturing me all those years ago.

The difference between teaching and nurturing

© 2023 Ikai Yuichi All rights reserved.

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