Sculpt, Slump, Surprise - with Scott Brough

Out of My Comfort Zone: A Freeform Pottery Workshop with Scott Brough

DAY ONE...

I recently took part in a two day freeform pottery workshop run by Scott Brough, and it was one of the most satisfying creative weekends I’ve had in a long time.

The workshop kicked off with a challenge: in pairs, we were handed a bag of clay and asked to build the tallest structure we could. We started strong, with a hefty base and a plan—a kind of garden sculpture with peep holes to look through and see little creatures inside. But we quickly realised we were going to run out of clay long before we reached any impressive height.

Then we looked around.

On the table were all sorts of random props—mesh, newspaper, skewers, rolling pins. Suddenly we realised: It doesn’t have to be all clay. We started incorporating everything we could. Rolling pins became supports inside the sculpture, mesh added structure and texture and even flimsy newspaper helped us reach greater heights. We responded to the inevitable slumps and leans, reacting in real time, with a few silent prayers to the clay gods that it would hold together until the end of the challenge.

Lessons from the first challenge:

• Don’t be too fixed in your plans.
• Take bold steps—you’ll grow faster.
• Step back and look at the whole picture. Where are the weak points? What needs strengthening?
• Have fun. Don’t take it too seriously.
• It doesn’t have to be technically perfect.
• Collaborate and work as a team.
• Share all your ideas—even the ones that seem daft.

Our sculpture ended up being the second tallest, and I was thrilled with it.

Next, we moved onto creating individual elements. Scott encouraged us to use whatever form we liked—slab, wheel, hand-building. The idea was just to make lots of things to fill a table, which we would later combine in a group build.

At first, I felt completely stumped by the open brief. I didn’t know where to start. I’ve always found starting from a blank page (or blank slab of clay) challenging. Maybe it’s because I love order and clear instructions. I love cooking from a recipe for the same reason—just follow the steps and you get a satisfying result. But being told “make whatever you want” tends to break my brain.

Slowly, though, I found myself relaxing. I played with texture, hunted around for things to press into clay, and started producing pieces—little ones, big ones, and everything in between. We all began to riff off what others around the table were doing, building on each other’s ideas. That collaboration sparked even more creativity.

After lunch, Scott gathered us around two large tables pushed together. All our clay elements were piled in the centre, and each of us had a batt to begin building on. The instruction: start making something. In a couple of minutes, we’d rotate and add to someone else’s piece. Every minute or so, we moved on, contributing to the next creation.

It was fast, furious, and incredibly freeing.

You worked quickly. You had to join elements efficiently and let go of perfection. There wasn’t time to fuss over neatness. You just made. The final pieces were wild, unexpected, and honestly—they looked like real art. Nothing like the functional homewares I usually make.

It was such a joy to let go of structure, to work collaboratively, and to be surprised by what emerged.

Who wants to hear about day 2...?