Healing in the Dirt: Discover the Power of Centering Clay in Pottery
Rediscovering the simple joy of creation: hands, earth, and the art of play.
Healing in the dirt, did you ever play in the mud as a child? What thoughts, memories, or emotions does that invoke?
Hello wonderful readers! Welcome back to our exploration of pottery and its therapeutic benefits. Pottery allows for a unique blend of mindfulness and creativity, promoting relaxation and stress reduction. Today, we're not just focusing on the physical act of molding clay but also delving into the profound emotional healing it can bring, particularly in our journey through feelings like shame. Every potter knows the importance of proper centering of the clay. Get ready to get your hands a little dirty — in the most therapeutic way possible.
Connecting with Nature: The Therapeutic Touch of Earth
Picture this: the soft texture of clay, the grounding scent of earth, and the profound connection with nature. As we navigate the tactile joy of pottery, we also engage in a silent conversation about our inner landscapes, confronting emotions that shape us, much like the clay under our fingertips. As I often say, "There's just something about having your hands in the clay and making beautiful things," referring to the finished pottery pieces. With pottery, we use our hands — the first form of communication we learn as infants is touch. In my book, A Better Way: Integrating Faith and Psychology to Heal Inner Wounds, I discuss Frederick’s experiment, where nurses weren't allowed to touch infants to see what language they would speak. Tragically, all these infants died due to a lack of touch. Tactile contact is a primal mode of expression; it’s our earliest language, a fundamental need for connection and well-being.
Centering on the Wheel: The Foundation of Creation
Now, let's talk about centering on the wheel. It's not just a step; it's the foundation of every creation. Imagine a mound of clay, and centering is the process of evenly distributing it in the middle of the pottery wheel before the magic begins. As one website humorously puts it, "Centering tends to produce a lot of silent and audible screaming. The reality is simple: centering is frustrating but essential." This tricky step sets the stage for what's to come, laying the groundwork for a therapeutic dialogue with nature. Amelia, the owner/operator of Tap Tap Art Studios in Harker Heights, Texas, lovingly advises her students, “Apply that pressure from the outside, keep it centered.” She describes it as a “centrical force happening, which is life too,” reminding us that in life, we are “having to hold it together.”
The Mindful/Meditative Connection: Finding Stillness in the Soil
Have you ever felt the therapeutic joy of getting your hands in the soil while gardening? Throwing pottery on a potter’s wheel captures that essence. The meditative quality comes not just from the wheel's spin but from the profound connection to the earth established during centering. The mindful piece is all about showing up and staying focused on what is in front of you. The wheel doesn’t care about your hard day; the wheel demands your attention. If you are not focused and present, you will end up with a blob of clay! Amelia says the mechanics of working with clay are “one of the few things that really is mind, body, soul because it’s coming from your physical fingertips.” She points out that the results of throwing clay while distracted by the day or with “any bit of anxiety, anger, frustration, I do flops all day long. I mean, these aren’t the organic little beauties that come out.”
Fellow student, Trena Black Wade, adds a personal note to the conversation, "I walked in class feeling frustrated and my mind whirring, I just needed to put my hands in the clay and when I walked out, I left it all on the wheel and I felt lighter and centered." This encapsulates the essence of pottery's therapeutic impact, providing not just a creative outlet but a form of emotional and psychological release.
Amelia, reflecting on the grounding aspect of working with clay, shares, “any time i'm trying to get creative or balance myself i go outside and walk barefoot. You know the more I do it and think about it, it makes sense when you're talking about your hands in the clay. I mean it is dirt. So I do think it is grounding you.”
Shaping Self-Compassion: Overcoming Shame Through Centering
In the dance of hands and clay, there lies a profound lesson in patience and self-compassion. Centering the clay — a process both delicate and determined — mirrors our own journey toward inner balance and healing. For many, shame is an unwieldy burden, much like an uncentered piece of clay. It can throw us off, causing our lives to wobble unpredictably. Yet, just as we learn to center clay with gentle, persistent adjustments, we too can learn to navigate our feelings of shame. Drawing upon the insights shared in my series on shame and healing (Shame Defined, Shame and Trauma, The Shame Cycle, and Overcoming Shame), this moment in the pottery studio becomes a metaphor for our capacity to reshape our perceptions of ourselves. Each attempt at centering, no matter how many tries it takes, teaches us resilience and the art of turning our imperfections into stepping stones for growth. Through this tactile dialogue with the earth, we find a way to ground ourselves, shedding the weight of shame and embracing the lightness of being authentically centered. As we shape the clay, we also reshape our narrative, crafting a path of healing and acceptance with every spin of the wheel.
Closing Thoughts: Nurturing Growth in the Studio Garden
As we conclude this chapter of our journey into the healing essence of pottery, remember the foundational importance of centering — not just in clay but in our lives. This exploration goes beyond the wheel and the studio; it's a journey into our own hearts, inviting us to mold our experiences into sources of strength. Stay tuned for more insights, stories, and moments of discovery as we continue to explore the therapeutic journey through pottery.
Until next time, get those hands in the dirt, nurture your inner garden, and let the healing unfold.
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