My ARMY Glow-Up Journey: BTS X ARMY Inspired Pottery and Ceramic Art

Titas of BTS and ARMY Connect PH are asking for Glow-Up stories to share with Jin when he returns. Here is a progress report on the pottery journey I set out to do last September 2023 falling under #AGU_Recreation.

Together with friends from Titas of BTS, we have had three AGU Recreation activities in November 2023; December 2023 and January 2024. The first one was in Persaro's in Ortigas; the second one was in Sonoma, Sta. Rosa Laguna and the third was in Gyud Fud UP Diliman, Quezon City. Although the first AGU Recreation activity was a session on Pabalat Art, led by Prof. Anna Marie Hernandez Bautista, it inspired us to explore hobbies we share in common. The Pabalat Art session was attended by members of the TOB Book Club Sonyeondan and the TOB Southietas tribe ( a group of TOBbies living and are based in the South of Manila and Southern Luzon.

For the Sta. Rosa and UP Diliman pocket events, we had a joint session on Pabalat and Pottery, plus watercolor painting! We were joined by new members from TOB who thoroughly enjoyed the activities. These sessions have given us an opportunity to bond and express our fangirling in creative ways. Speaking for myself, I have had the honor and privilege to meet and interact with women in my age group. We come from different backgrounds but we are ARMY. The camaraderie and friendship we share are rooted in BTS.

@titazeeh7 Pottery, pabalat and watercolor fun with Tita ARMYs. Thank you @Poochie Tablan 😊💜😊 #AGURecreation #AGUSkills #AGUMindPower #ARMYGlowUp2025 #BetterARMYsforBTS ♬ Good Day - BTS

Learning pottery alongside TOBbies makes me confident. I strive to be better at my handbuilding skills. Using the handbuilding technique, I have made pinch pots and trinket dishes. Moving up one level higher, I attempted to make a pen holder using the slabbing technique with surface decorations.

At the time, I was missing Jin so much I made a half moon and seven stars to embose on my pen holder. I am thankful to potter friends in the pottery community for helping me glaze and fire my projects as I have yet to make my own kiln (when circumstances allow). Clay, pottery and ceramic art have been therapeutic for me. A hobby that has given me the space to be calm and patient. To breathe and just be.

Right now I have more than fifty ceramics! A hobby that began as a way to relieve me off anxiety is turning out to be a small enterprise I am slowly growing and developing. Visit @silver_linings_t.zee on Instagram!

What is your Glow-Up story, ARMY? Do tell. TOB is a safe space we all share.