The assignment was simple: throw a thousand bowls. Not for sale, not for show — just for practice. Emma started in September. By October, her hands were cracking open from the clay.
"Clay pulls moisture from your skin," she explains. "Eight hours a day at the wheel, and your hands become desert landscapes. The cracks get deep enough to bleed."
Finding Balance
Emma learned to tape her worst cracks before throwing. The self-adhering tape stayed on despite the wet clay, protecting the wounds while she worked. It wasn't elegant, but it kept her at the wheel.
"You can't throw with bandages — they get soggy and fall off. Regular tape leaves residue on everything. Self-adhering tape just works."
Bowl Number One Thousand
She finished in February. A thousand bowls, each one slightly better than the last. Her hands bore the evidence of the journey — callused, strong, and finally adapted to the demands of serious wheel work.
"The tape got me through the adaptation period. Now my hands can handle almost anything. But I still tape for marathon throwing sessions."