*Photos in this post are taken from my trip to Warsaw, Poland.

I have always been fascinated with ceramics and handmade pottery. Ever since I became a potter myself it’s become more than just a passion, but a way of life.

Those in my life know that I am a strong believer of continual growth and balance. I enjoy pursuing a variety of interests to better understand myself, and in pottery I’ve discovered it embodies so many of those things.

In Edgar Rice Buroughs novel “Chessman Of Mars,” he says it so well.

“Development of the brain should not be the sum of total human endeavor. The richest and happiest people will be those who attain closest to well balanced perfection of both mind and body, and even those must always be short of perfection. “

Nature.

Pottery engages all your senses, especially the ones that brings you closer to the earth. Clay itself, though you can buy it processed and manufactured originates from the ground. Since I am constantly outdoors, climbing and paddling, I’ve begun to collect natural clays to eventually treat and fire them in the near future.

Balance.

Pottery is about balance and those who’ve seen a potter throwing clay on the wheel can see that to be able to create something you must first be balanced. At the same time you cannot be balanced until you recognize what is setting you off in the first place.

If you cannot centre yourself nor understand what it means to be centered your entire piece can be thrown off.

If you are not emotionally centered often times your piece will reflect those inner feelings. For example if you’re, tired or sad or mad your piece will definitely resonate those feelings.

Tonnes of life metaphors can be derived from this amazing way of life.  (Mind blowing metaphors!)

Patience.

It teaches one about patience.

Throughout my life, people (who don’t “know” me, including family and friends) often say I am impatient, hotheaded, irrational, and many other hurtful things.

Yet those who know me, know that there can be nothing farther from the truth. In all the things I do, they all require much patience, focus, determination and sound mind.

 
Pottery requires a lot of patience. Besides having patience to work with the initial soft form of clay, one must wait long periods of time – up to several weeks – for pieces of clay to dry before they can even be fired in the kiln.

Even then they may need to fired multiple times before the piece is completed, and each fire can take a full day. On top of all that a piece you’ve been painstakingly working on for weeks may break at any one of these stages.

If you’re someone that finds you have difficult dealing with failure or struggle with letting go of things, I invite you to come pot with me sometime and we can explore healing through pottery together.

Meditation.

Participating in the creation of pottery is very meditative. I find the absence of digital things and the white noise of our petty concerns about who’s who is completely dissolved the moment I walk into a studio.

I don my sweat pants, my “chocolate mooooose” apron from my mom Pattie, tie up my hair and turn on CKUA radio.

For the next several hours. I am becoming a better person.

Facebook: SetoPottery 

If you’re interested in trying out pottery Paint It Up Pottery will soon be posting classes and private lessons will be available as well.