Design Your Own Project to Level Up Your Skills
Stop Spinning Your Wheels - Start Making Progress
You know that thing you've been wanting to get better at? The skill that's been on your "someday" list for months—or years?
Maybe it's finally re-learning piano. Or actually playing that dusty ukulele you bought during the pandemic. Or going from beginner pottery student to confident ceramic artist who can make that dinner set you've been dreaming about.
Here's the painful part: You look up one day and realize it's been a full year, and you're basically in the exact same spot. Sure, you've dabbled. Watched some tutorials. But actual progress? That deep skill-building that takes you from fumbling beginner to genuine competence? Somehow it hasn't happened the way you pictured it.
Here's what I've learned: wishing you were better, or telling yourself that level of skill is for other "more talented people," doesn't make you better. Vague intentions to "practice more" don't cut it either.
But you know what does work? Giving yourself a real project—a deliberately designed one with clear goals, a timeline, and enough repetition to actually transform your skills. It doesn't have to be huge.
Let me tell you how I first learned the value of a personal project 25 years ago, and how this concept is still helping me today.
Wish you could play that guitar better?
You can - with a plan.
When a Professor Gave Me the Gift of Structure
Back in college, my Wheel-Throwing 2 class had an ambitious final project: create a complete 4-person dinner set. Plates, bowls, mugs, plus extras like a casserole dish, pitcher, and butter dish.
I remember thinking, "How am I supposed to make all that?" But I did it. Because the structure of the assignment pushed me way beyond what I thought I could handle. And I'm not going to lie. I did NOT like that project. But I made myself do it because I am a rule-follower, at heart. And by getting uncomfortable and stretching myself, I actually learned some things! I know, shocking.
Then came senior year, and my professor offered us the chance to design our OWN project for the independent study class I was taking. We had to write up a proposal explaining what we wanted to accomplish and what skills we'd develop. We had to set our own mission. Now that was exciting to me!
I was obsessed with teapots, so I proposed making fifteen of them. Fifteen!
If you've never made a teapot on the wheel, here's what's involved: You throw the body, the lid, the spout, and possibly a separate foot. Add a handle, and knob to the lid. THEN join all these pieces together to create one cohesive vision. Everything has to work together visually AND functionally. Like, it has to hold tea and be able to pour it out. That's actually harder than I thought!
It was a great way to practice multiple skills: functional design, throwing all the components, joining the pieces, surface finishing, and envisioning one cohesive style from start to finish.
I tried all different styles, shapes, and techniques. Some were tall and elegant, others short and stout. Different handles, various decorative approaches. It was exploratory and playful, but it forced me to get better technically—creating sharp lips on spouts to avoid drips, throwing well-fitting lids.
Trust me, some were not good. But a few are among my favorite pieces I've ever made, even years later.
If you lined up all fifteen, you'd see quite an evolution. Not just in technical skill, but in my creative voice.
That's the power of a well-designed project.
You Don't Need a Professor (But You Do Need a Plan)
My professor wasn't just making us create stuff. He was teaching us how to teach ourselves—how to identify what we needed or wanted to learn, structure our practice, and commit to seeing something through.
As adults, nobody is assigning us projects anymore. Nobody's setting deadlines. We have to do that for ourselves. And most of us…don't. Life gets in the way. And we just hope that somehow, by "practicing," we'll magically get better.
Spoiler alert: we won't. And when we don't, we might shrug it off as, that's for other people. The talented ones. Never seeing the truth, that no matter what your natural gifts, excellence comes from knowledge and experience through skilled practice.
So - what if you gave yourself a mission, wrote your own proposal, and committed to a project with a timeline and clear criteria?
That's what I want to show you.
How to Design a Project That Actually Works
1. Pick One Skill You Want to Develop
Not ALL the skills. Start with One. What skill keeps nagging at you? "If I could only do ___ a little better…" That's your starting point.
2. Create Repetition With Variation
You want enough repetition to build muscle memory, but enough variation to stay engaged. My fifteen teapots weren't identical—different shapes, styles, techniques. But they were all teapots, so I solved the same core challenges repeatedly, getting better each time.
3. Make It Big Enough to Matter
One teapot wouldn't cut it. Fifteen? By number fifteen, I knew things I couldn't have imagined on day one. Your project needs to be substantial enough that you'll hit the wall, push through, and come out with real competence. What's big enough to scare you a little?
4. Set Clear Criteria and a Timeline
Remember that proposal I wrote? I had to spell out exactly what I was making, by when, and what I'd learn. You need the same clarity. What does "done" look like? Give yourself specific parameters and a realistic deadline. Maybe share it with a friend, an instructor, or even run it by me, I'm always interested in this stuff! Email or DMs are easy ways to connect with me and get feedback.
5. Plan How You'll Wrap It Up
Mark its completion. Host a mini art show. Post on social media. At minimum, journal about what you learned. Completion builds confidence and lets you see how far you've come.
DONE.
Seeing your project through to completion is where the power is!
Your Project Becomes Your Teacher
Here's what I discovered: the work teaches you things you couldn't have planned for. I thought I'd learn technical throwing skills, and I did. But I also learned patience, problem-solving, and discovered aesthetic preferences I didn't know I had. Your project will do the same—you'll set out to learn X and discover Y and Z were waiting for you. The unexpected lessons are often the most valuable.
Don't Let Another Year Slip By
A year from now, you'll either be genuinely better at that skill you've been wanting to develop, or you'll be having this same conversation with yourself. Again.
The difference isn't talent. It's structure. It's having a real project with clear goals, built-in repetition, and an actual finish line.
Write your own proposal. It doesn't have to be formal. Just answer these questions:
• What skill do I want to develop?
• What project would require me to practice that skill repeatedly?
• How many pieces/iterations will I create?
• What's my timeline?
• How will I mark the finish line?
That's it. That's your independent study.
Then start. Make the first piece. It probably won't be great—mine sure wasn't. But the fifteenth one? That's where the magic happens. That's where you realize you're not the same artist you were when you started.
A year from now, I want you looking back at this moment as the turning point. The day you stopped wishing and started deliberately becoming better.
Let's Keep the Conversation Going
I'd love to hear what project you're designing for yourself! Share your project proposal in the comments, send me an email, or post about it on social media and tag me. There's something powerful about declaring your intentions out loud—it makes them real.
I'll tell you my current project: 8 bowls, 8 mugs, 4 wine chillers, all in the same style of wheel-thrown porcelain and freehand drawings of the flowers from the new art park outside my studio. And I'll admit: I started strong, then stalled a bit due to life. Now, my deadline is looming. I need to finish by Handcrafted Holiday Market December 5&6. Time to get cracking on the final steps of my project! Deadlines are powerful.
Quick Win: Right now, answer those five proposal questions. Just get something down on paper (or screen). Don't overthink it—your project can evolve as you go.
Solid Solution: Design your complete project this week, including exactly what you'll make, your timeline, and how you'll celebrate completion. Then schedule your first work session and actually show up for it.
Treat Yourself: Want help designing the perfect project for your specific goals and creative practice? I'm developing one-on-one artist coaching to help you create your custom creative roadmap and hold you accountable through the process. Email me if you're interested in learning more!
Now go give yourself some homework. The kind that actually changes things.
With Enthusiasm for Life + Art,