I’ve always loved pottery, and lately, I’ve been thinking about getting back into it. I’ve taken a few classes here and there over the years, but I never really stuck with it or made it a regular thing.

Then I went to Japan and Korea, and oh my gosh, the ceramics there! Everywhere I went, I kept noticing them, and it wasn’t even the fancy, perfect-looking stuff that caught my eye. It was these slightly crooked soup bowls and lumpy little tea mugs where you could see all the imperfections. I don’t know why, but I was drawn to them. They weren’t perfect, and somehow, that made me love them even more.

When I got home, I started playing around with clay again, but this time, I wanted to keep going with it. Maybe it’s just getting older, I don’t know. I think I’m starting to appreciate having something I can do just for myself, without needing it to be productive or lead to anything.

What I love about working on the wheel is that it’s more physical than people might think, but there’s also something really peaceful about it. You’re leaning over the wheel, using your arms and hands to work the clay, trying to keep everything steady so it doesn’t wobble out of shape. At the same time, you have to slow down and pay attention to what you’re doing. You can feel the clay in your hands, watch the wheel spin, and adjust your movements as you go. If your mind wanders too much, the clay lets you know pretty quickly! I find it hard to think about everything else going on in my life when I’m trying to keep a lump of clay centred on a spinning wheel.

We’re on our phones so much these days. Instagram, TikTok, texts, emails, the news… there’s always something to check or something popping up. Even when we’re supposed to be relaxing, we’re still scrolling or taking in more information. That’s one of the things I like about pottery. When I’m working with clay, I’m not reaching for my phone or checking what’s happening online. I’m just there, trying to figure out what I’m doing with this lump of clay in front of me. Honestly, it feels a little like therapy for me. My hands are busy, and I have something to focus on. I’m looking at the clay instead of a screen, trying to shape it without messing it up. For a little while, I’m not thinking about social media or what everyone else is doing. I’m just doing my own thing.

Obviously, playing with clay isn’t going to solve all my problems, but I like having something that gets me out of my head for a while. Instead of sitting around thinking about the same things over and over, I’m doing something with my hands and figuring things out as I go. Sometimes, that’s all I need.

For my birthday, my husband booked us a couples pottery class. Within ten minutes, we were both covered in clay, trying to figure out what we were doing, and honestly, he was pretty good at it! I wasn’t expecting that.

Pottery can be frustrating, but it’s a fun kind of frustration. It’s different from work or family stress that follows you around even when you’re trying to relax. With pottery, you’re sitting there staring at the wheel, wondering why this stupid lump of clay won’t do what you want it to do. Then the whole thing collapses, so you roll it back into a ball and try again. I actually like that part of it. You can get frustrated, laugh at yourself, squish the clay back together, and have another go. There’s no point sitting there beating yourself up over a wonky bowl. You just keep trying until you get a little closer to what you had in mind.

It also reminded me that hobbies can be fun to share with someone else, too. Doing pottery together was a different experience from going on my own. Neither of us was an expert, so there was no pressure to get everything right. We were just sitting there, covered in clay, trying to make a mug that didn’t look completely wonky and laughing when things didn’t go as planned.

Pottery also has a way of humbling you pretty quickly. You go in thinking you’re going to make a cute little coffee mug, and somehow you end up with something thick, lopsided, and heavy enough to use as a paperweight. That pretty much sums up our class. I started off wanting to make a delicate little teacup, but about five minutes into working on the wheel, the sides started flaring out. Before I knew it, I had a wide, shallow bowl instead. I just looked at it and thought, “Welp, I guess I’m making a bowl first.” You can go in with a whole idea of what you want to make, but the clay won’t always cooperate. Sometimes you just have to go with it and see what happens. I’m learning not to worry so much about getting everything right. If it’s a little wonky, so be it.

I’d also forgotten just how much work pottery is. After an hour, your forearms are burning, your hands are covered in clay, and your lower back is feeling it from leaning over the wheel. You’re using your whole body to keep this wet lump of clay steady, hoping it doesn’t suddenly fly off or collapse. It’s messy, physical work, and I think that’s part of what I enjoy about it. You’re so busy trying to get the clay to cooperate that you don’t have much time to think about everything else. You’re not half-watching TV while scrolling on your phone. You’re right there, focused on what you’re doing, because that lump of clay needs your attention!

I actually bought my own pottery wheel recently, which might be a little crazy considering I don’t even have a kiln. I haven’t quite figured out how I’m going to fire anything yet, but I’ll deal with that part when I get there. For now, I’m just enjoying learning and seeing what I can make. My bowls might come out crooked, my mugs might be too thick, and half the things I make might look nothing like what I had in mind. But I think I’ll be okay with that. There’s something really satisfying about making something with your own hands, even when it doesn’t turn out quite the way you planned.

Some of our creations…