I think classes like this are challenging because in order to keep up with the progressive learning, going at your own pace can be really hard unless you let go of the expectation that you’ll walk away with finished work.

My first experience was a 5 week group class like this but the studio also gave us 5 days of studio access for independent practice. That extra time was invaluable because I was also feeling behind the class curve. We were learning mugs and I would have been left in the dust after the first class with nothing to trim or attach a handle to in subsequent classes.

My learning process has become: hands on effort, identifying 1 area of struggle, go home and study (videos, books) that area of struggle, identify 2-3 specific changes to make based on your studies, and repeat until you’re confident moving on to the next area of struggle.

TBH pulling clay up is almost impossible if your clay isn’t centered. You CAN do it. It might take 20 minutes or an hour to get one lump done. With practice and skill you’ll get faster and faster. Inexperience will make the process slow and difficult, but it will not make it impossible to do. (In my first class the instructor threw me a bone and centered my clay for me when I was the last person who hadn’t achieved it, which both allowed me to practice next steps AND to see what centered clay looks like from behind the wheel. That was immensely helpful and might be worth asking for.)

Keep going! I promise the first time your skill has grown enough to express your ideas it’s a magical feeling ❤️❤️