Article 2: The power of clay

“The potter’s wheel is a place of transformation of clay and of self.” M.C. Richards

When I first sat at the wheel, I wasn’t trying to make anything profound. I just needed something to help me breathe again. Life felt heavy. My mind was full. But the moment my hands met the spinning clay, something shifted. The noise faded. I was simply there, simply present.
Clay became my pause. It became the place where I could feel without analysing or rushing, where I could create without judgment. It allowed me to fail gently and begin again. There is no perfection in clay, only process. And that process became a teacher.
One of the most humbling things about clay is how it reminds you that control is an illusion. Sometimes the piece collapses. Sometimes the cracks show. And sometimes, that’s exactly what was needed. Through it all, the clay teaches patience, resilience and surrender.
I believe clay can hold our emotions the way we hold it in our hands. It gives form to the formless, voice to the unspoken. It connects us to something primal, something healing. And for anyone carrying silent weight, it can be a gentle companion on the journey back to self.
So, if you’re feeling lost, overwhelmed, or simply numb, I invite you to try. Feel the clay. Let your hands speak what your mouth cannot. You don’t need to make anything perfect.

By H.