Talk about first day in ceramics

Knew nothing

Met teacher, whom I enjoyed a lot

The first thing I made was disgusting

Found that it was therapeutic

Bring it back into the classroom

Describe projects I've done over the years

Describe how it helps me

Include pictures of my work and brief descriptions

Say how long I've been doing it and how I will continue to do it and recommend it to others

I've always admired pottery and ceramic art, so about 9 years ago, I decided to take a beginner's wheel throwing class through my city's parks and rec program. It was so hard, but I was hooked. Since then, I've also gotten into hand-building, and I've set up a small studio in my house and shed.

The process to me is very calming. I get into a creative "flow" when I'm making, and that really quiets my brain. Opening the kiln and seeing the final successful piece also brings me a lot of joy.

I remember one beginner student I had who really struggled to make pieces that didn't crack, fell apart, had disappointing glaze results, etc. Despite the setbacks, he kept going. One day toward the end of the semester, he picked up his latest finished piece (it was a success), inspected it, and said, "I can't believe I made that" in such an amazed way. I always smile when I think of that moment.

Many students have trouble understanding the properties of clay and how far you can "push it." They struggle with keeping the clay at the right moisture or knowing what causes cracks. Most of these obstacles are overcome by practice/experience and learning things the hard way (for example, clay warping in the fire because the student mishandled it when it was wet.)

Continued encouragement; space to struggle and troubleshoot; allowing time to start over (some students are overly reluctant to begin again when things aren't working); reminders to withhold judgment about their work until it is in the final stages.

I am always surprised at just how personal all student work is. Sometimes I will not realize the story/emotions behind a piece until the student writes about it, and I see how many layers of meaning their piece has.

Art is a great tool to utilize during therapy sessions, and there are providers who do art therapy specifically. Therapy that incorporates art allows for visual representation of feelings and thoughts, with less emphasis on words and verbal communication. Creating a space for someone to exist, to be verbal or nonverbal, to utilize textures and colors – it is very inclusive and insightful 

I do not work with clay for sessions, but I do dabble with pottery in my personal life. Clay has an interesting texture - soft yet rough, bendy yet holds shape, wet but not mushy. Of the 5 senses, touch can be the easiest for a person to use to ground themselves. Fingertips have the most nerves for the amount of space they measure. 

Tell me about what you're going through

Did making pottery make you feel calmer?

What aspect of making pottery did you find released the most emotional tension?

Would you do it again?