As I open my kitchen cupboard and reflexively hold my hands out in the anticipation that one of my wobbly and clumsily stacked mugs will fall, I am struck with two thoughts:
1. I really need a better stacking system, and
2. I am lucky to be surrounded by such unique pieces of pottery, each with a special meaning or moment attached.
I drink my morning tea out of a mug that was gifted to me by Kay for my Birthday this year, with imprints of Brecken ferns and my preferred title, Ocean Fairy. I drink orange juice out of a wheel-thrown cup that a friend left me with before moving back to Europe, a smooth vessel that connects me with memories of her company. I place burning incense in a vulva crafted from clay made by A and fill my bedroom with the scent of nag champa. And I love all of it. Pottery has given me a medium for creating things that bring me joy- from the Billy Dog tag my kooky border collie wears on her collar, to the signs in my garden helping me distinguish between pumpkin and cucumber seedlings, to the crockery, cups and mugs that fill my home (hence the daunting cupboard). There is nothing quite like the interior décor of someone who enjoys pottery and appreciates pottery pieces created by others…
However, pottery also fills my home, life and heart with pieces that are less tangible. By playing with clay in a community club, I have gained new skills, a new lens for the world, advanced my mindfulness practice, and have learned the classic pottery lesson of detachment and acceptance. I have also learned with and from the people around me and have the absolute privilege of being part of a community where the criterion for membership is an interest in creating, and the uniform is clay-stained pants. In the pursuit of making functional items to eat off, I found a sense of belonging and a motivation for play and experimentation.
That is because, in my opinion, the best thing about creating is the process. I am here for wedging clay onto concrete, working with a wobbling tower of clay, and experimenting with colours, glazing and forms. For each piece that feels like a success, there are many other creations that can best be described as “learnings”. For creative practice to be sustainable for me, I need to enjoy the process and where that takes me, because nothing is guaranteed in pottery, apart from the commitment to myself to sit down and give it a go.
Keep creating,
Zoe xx
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