I happen to know a little bit about stress. Before starting my own pottery business, I worked as a Registered Nurse. I devoted almost my entire career in long term care, climbing the proverbial ladder and reaching the top rung, Director of Nursing. I have always been very proud of that accomplishment, but it didn’t come without patience, persistence, some major challenges along the way, and of course, stress.
While working 40+ hours a week in an emotionally demanding role and really having no hobbies to speak of, I needed to immerse myself in something to help cope with the daily pressures of my job. I remember saying to my husband, “I think I want to try doing pottery”. The next thing I knew, there was a pottery wheel in my garage, complete with some shelves and a slop sink. I had no knowledge of any pottery techniques or terminology. But what I did have was YouTube.
There are thousands upon thousands of pottery YouTube videos out there. Topics such as hand building, throwing on a pottery wheel and sculpting were all at my fingertips, just begging me to watch them. And watch them I did. I began focusing on videos on how to center a ball of clay. They all made it look so easy and effortless. But I soon found out that was far from the truth. I struggled, for what felt like an eternity, with centering clay. I recall asking myself, “how is this supposed to relieve stress?” I was tense and anxious trying to center clay, to the point where I actually gave up. It was official, I was never going to do pottery. But then I remembered: Patience. Persistence. And yes, some major challenges and stress too.
With a lot of patience and persistence, I did learn how to center clay. It was challenging and caused some stress as well. But it didn’t have to. If I had just enjoyed the journey and not focused just on the end game, my first few years probably would have been much less of a struggle. Remembering that I was doing this for myself, not for anyone else, eased my stress level. It didn’t matter how the piece turned out in the end. It was what I learned along the way that mattered. And now working with clay gives me such a sense of calm. A calmness in my mind, a calmness in my body. I have found a true inner peace. I still flop a piece here and there, but it’s ok. I gain valuable knowledge from every piece I create. Doing pottery is not just an art form, it can be a profoundly relaxing experience, if you allow it to be.
Many people experience high stress levels because they have not allowed their emotions to have a healthy outlet. Engaging in pottery is a great, organic way to open the gates and let those emotions out. Creating pottery is a form of self-expression, but you don’t need words. Whether you’re throwing on the wheel, hand building or carving, this form of creativity helps to channel and express unspoken feelings, turning them into something tangible for you to enjoy.
Clay is a very tactile material: soft, cool, and moldable. The simple act of touching, shaping, and forming the clay has a naturally soothing effect on the nervous system, which helps to release tension and create a sense of calmness. You can equate this to squeezing a stress ball, which provides a sensory distraction that shifts attention away from daily stressors. If squeezing this simple little ball can do that, just think what creating pottery can do for your stress level. Working the clay between your hands and fingers, forming it into a myriad of shapes and sizes, feeling the softness of the clay, the smoothness between your fingers, molding and shaping. Any rhythmic motion of squeezing and moving the clay can stimulate the nervous system, causing the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good hormones, and reducing your stress level.
Have you heard the term Physical Grounding? Physical grounding, also known as earthing, is the practice of making direct contact with the Earth’s surface to connect with the Earth’s natural electrical charge. This is usually accomplished by walking barefoot on grass or soil, or gardening with bare hands. But I do it by getting my hands in clay, because after all, what is clay but a small piece of earth, right? It is said that connecting to the Earth’s natural electrical charge can have various health benefits, like lower stress and anxiety, reduced inflammation and improved sleep. Just like being out in nature has proven heath benefits of lower blood pressure and an improved sense of happiness and calmness. Getting dirty with clay can achieve those same benefits. Working with clay is my way of “Grounding”. Feeling the clay, the soft, earthy material, flow through my hands and fingers. Softly and gently molding it into various shapes. Soft curves, sharp angles, flowing lines, intricate textures and organic forms. Exactly the types of things one would experience out in nature.
After all these years, I still find that doing pottery relieves stress. Realizing that when I am focused and present with my lump of clay, it creates a certain serenity within me and I am able to tune out distractions. So get a ball of clay, get focused, and start to create. It doesn’t matter what you create. You can throw a pot on the wheel or hand build a mug. The goal is to enjoy a few hours in the solitude of creating. Erase all the stressors of your day. Tune out distractions and anxious thoughts. Be focused and present with your clay. Let go of expectations and just focus on how the clay feels. And in the end, when you complete a pottery piece, whether a simple mug or an intricate pot, it gives you a sense of achievement. Seeing how your lump of clay became a work of art helps build your confidence, boosts your mood, and likely gave you a much needed break from everyday worries.
So, be kind to yourself, be kind to others, and be kind to the Earth!
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