Stephen is Bad at Art: In just 10 days, this ceramics beginner learned how to make a bong

This video is part of an ongoing series called "Stephen is Bad at Art," in which the titular Stephen Robinson takes on a variety of art challenges he's set for himself — with the help of a bunch of experts, and sometimes his cat. Check out Stephen's YouTube channel where he makes videos on learning new skills, persistence and tackling boredom.

Let's make something clear off the top: Stephen Robinson is not that bad at art. As in, if I tried to draw a cat, it may look like a turtle, or a bowling ball with matted hair. He's better than that. But he's still an amateur — and in the most Malcolm Gladwell of ways, he's looking to find out how much better you can get at a thing with enough time and dedication.

So here's the framework: Stephen sets himself a task — in this case, creating a ceramic bong, which involves getting a good grip on how a pottery wheel works, as well as learning the properties of clay. He finds an expert — in this case, Kristian North of High Art Headshop (remember them?), a ceramics studio that specializes in hand-thrown bongs. And then, he gets to work.

In this video made by Stephen himself, you'll see how it all plays out, from flattened clay and frustration to the results that I'm not willing to spoil. But I will say this: we're pretty convinced that 10 days can take you a long way. I'm not necessarily advocating for ordering a pottery wheel if you're only sticking with it for a week and a half — but hey, maybe I am. We've all got time now, right? Learn the basics of how to make a ceramic bong here.

Follow Stephen Robinson's YouTube channel here and stay tuned for more episodes of Stephen is Bad at Art.

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