The pottery class that broke 40 years of perfectionism

The Pottery Class That Broke 40 Years of Perfectionism

May 29, 20261 min read

What if the thing standing between you and the life you want isn’t fear — it’s the belief that you have to be good before you get to be seen?

Most of us don’t avoid visibility because we’re lazy. We avoid it because somewhere along the way, being seen without excellence started to feel unsafe. So we wait. Until we know more, lose the weight, heal enough, have the degree. Until we can do it right.

But here’s the truth that changes everything: you don’t get confident and then become visible. You build confidence by surviving visibility.

In this episode, Rachel shares the story of a pottery class that quietly dismantled forty years of performance-based living — and what happened when she stopped waiting to be good and started showing up in the learning instead. We talk about pinkie-toe steps, nervous system panic, and what it actually looks like to practice imperfection in real life.

Because joy isn’t reserved for people who are already good at something.
And neither is being seen.

In this episode:

• Why waiting to be ready is just Good Girl Ghosting with better excuses
• The pottery class that changed how Rachel thinks about visibility
• How pinkie-toe steps compound into confidence
• The difference between performing courage and practicing it

Resources:
5 Moments You're Abandoning Yourself (Without Realizing It)
https://rachel-harris-online.kit.com/e6b737ec08

How to Choose You In Real Time - Practice Your First Rebel Moves
https://rachel-harris-online.kit.com/stopplayingsmall

Hidden Stories Inventory- Discover the Stories Quietly Shaping Your Choices
https://rachel-harris-online.kit.com/hiddeninventory

The Moment You Abandon Yourself - Catch the Exact Moment You Start Shrinking—and Learn How to Interrupt It In Real Time
https://rachel-harris-online.kit.com/costofpretending

Are YOU A Joyful Rebel?
https://rachelharrisonline.com/joyful-rebel

Rachel Harris

Rachel Harris

Rachel Harris is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, host of The Joyful Rebel Podcast, and the woman who named Good Girl Ghosting™ — the quietly praised habit of betraying yourself in the smallest, most invisible moments. She helps midlife women stop disappearing in rooms they never even left, so they can show up for real — and like the woman they uncover.

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