My First Haunting
(with clay)
This was my very first attempt at sculpting a ghost—and the start of my fascination with air-dry clay. I wanted to create something light and hollow, a ghost with flow and movement, like a sheet caught mid-float. The idea was simple: build around a paper base, let it dry, and gently remove the inside once hardened. Easy in theory. In reality? The paper had other plans.
Soft Start
I shaped the ghost around crumpled paper, smoothing folds and adding a small pumpkin at its side. The wet clay was forgiving, full of promise, and I loved how naturally the drape formed. It looked exactly how I imagined—gentle, almost alive—like it could lift off the table if a breeze passed through.
The Collapse
Once it dried, I tried to remove the paper from inside the hollow shell. It cracked, splintered, and fell apart completely. I had spent all that time perfecting its shape, only to watch it crumble in my hands. Still, I couldn’t help but laugh—it was such a “first project” moment. The kind where failure feels weirdly satisfying because you finally made something.
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Even though this little ghost didn’t survive, it taught me everything I needed to know about patience, timing, and the unpredictable nature of air-dry clay. It may have fallen apart, but it’s still one of my favorite failures—because it’s the one that started it all.