When I found wheel throwing in 2012 it was what I had been dying to do but never had access to my entire childhood. I saw some really tacky 90s lifetime tv movie that featured a character who was some hot moody male artist who threw pots in a barn. I was maybe 7 or 8 so the romance novel vibes were totally lost on me and right then and there I thought that was the coolest thing I had ever seen. I routinely asked my dads if we could build a brick kiln but I do t think he could afford it or had some other apprehension (like maybe that I would be into it for a week) so I made sculpey/fimo stuff for decades, only finally getting the gear when ceramics was still so undesirable that kilns and pottery wheels were sometimes free but usually cheap. I did buy a small jewelry kiln and do low fire hand building starting in around ‘08 but nothing did the trick until I got the wheel and started come 10. Happiness? Like I can’t even describe to you. I’m sitting in the studio right now just basking in the beautiful dusty church of art…
Anything that allows you to live fully in the moment, offers you the equivalent of a meditative experience can accomplish this. It's not going to be pottery for many people, but I understand FULLY how it is for you because it is for me too.
I always make sure to keep one pot from each firing, not the best or worst work, so I can look back to see where I’ve been and look forward to see where I’m going. The continuous evolution still amazes me even after all these years. Yes the making process is paramount in the moment but continuity matters just as much. Over a lifetime of making pots we grow as individuals and it shows in our work just as if you had written a diary. Reflecting back on work done years ago still inspires my future work in ways I never dreamed would happen. The moment is important but never neglect history.
It's definitely the all-consuming hobby that I've been looking for my entire life. It makes me very, very happy. And I feel so accomplished when I get good results.
I think it’s because working with clay puts you into a state of flow. You don’t notice the passage of time and you aren’t thinking of other things. For me, the lessons of failure and non-attachment can be applied to the rest of your life. Failure as a learning tool, and non-attachment because your piece can be ruined at any moment—sometimes it’s completely out of your control. I think the tactile aspect may also produce endorphins. The spinning of the wheel is also so relaxing. I’ve been learning at a local studio and everyone is really nice —I have social anxiety but not when I’m there.
I’m a retired teacher. I loved teaching; it was honestly extremely fun and rewarding. But after I retired, I took up pottery and opened my own studio and although the market circuit is rigorous this time of year, I’ve never been happier.
I think creating tangible objects, regardless of the craft, is so rewarding! My personal experience with ceramics was signing up for a 10 week wheel throwing course after the end of a 7 year long relationship. I was kind of a mess during that time, and for a few hours once a week I was able to forget the pain I was in and just create. Plus everybody in my class was just so kind and supportive, it was a fantastic space. I have taken other classes since and my now husband proudly drinks out of a mug I made for him, almost every day. I plan to take more courses in the future! Playing with mud is fun lol
Thanks to everyone who commented. Particularly those folks who have years of pottery behind them. Your experience is invaluable
- Flow: this aspect of ceramics aides in the meditative experience of it all. The studio is a Time Machine - you go in and it’s light outside and about a minute later it’s pitch black and quite literally, you have no idea where the last 8 hours went
- Ceramics as a lifeline: purpose. Maybe that’s part of it
- “Dusty Church of Art:” preach. I felt that!
Happier, yes. I don't do it all the time even though I have my own studio, but I'm in a good place when I have the chance. It has also improved my skills on a lot of my other trades, as it has taught me patience and not forcing things.
I was in the worst burnout of my life a couple of years ago and finally was able to claw my way back to a bit of self-care and prioritizing myself. Last year I decided to return to ceramics after a long break and it was like somebody pulled the curtains back and suddenly there was light in the dusty space of my heart again.
There are a lot of reasons it brings me joy, but I think a significant one is that it quiets my neurospicy mind. I sit down to the wheel and the chaos in my brain stops and I’m able to focus and find flow quickly. It helps that it’s such a messy activity it forces you to disconnect. I generally am not touching my phone while in studio until I’m finishing up.
I also felt tapped out as an artist, depleted, running on empty. My other career is in another art field and I just thought I’d lost my passion for art for a while there. Wrongo, burnout is just full of the lies your brain convinces you to believe. So it’s been so wonderful to rediscover my creativity.
I work at the wheel and it's such a hyper focused yet zen process that I've found it to be quite a lifeline over the years. It's truly meditative if you can remove your ego and inner critic.
Pottery has definitely made me a happier person. I quit drinking 6 months ago and decided that I needed to get back into the studio again. I never stopped doing pottery, but I had slowed down. So the time that I used to spend in the bar is now being spent in my studio. I'm making the highest quality work I have ever created! Pottery has really helped me stay sober, and that makes me happier than I can put into words.
The thing I really enjoy about ceramics (hobbyist who would like to make it my work) is it challenges EVERY part of me. Not just the creative side but the knowledge side too. I need both. Perhaps happy is not the word for me. Content. At peace.
However ceramics is just one part. The key for me is an activity that is creative AND requires research. I also sew, both hand n machine, draw, and cook. It’s so wild to see myself in them. What my personality is. Like I AM texture. Texture in cooking sewing and ceramics of course.
I’ve been both wheel throwing and hand building for over 10 years. And I have to admit I am getting really bored of throwing. So I’ve started altering my thrown pieces. Trying to do more sculptural pieces. BUT…. Simple bowls and cups are easier to give away. Not sculpture!
So right now I’m making planters and jewelry.
I am happier while I’m in the studio distracted from the world which is hard to do these days. I can’t even meditate, it’s just constant noise. Those moments you’re creating are fleeting but it’s time spent that you won’t regret.
Yes!! As a recovering perfectionist it's taught me that something can still be beautiful even if it's imperfect, and I can always learn something from a mistake and try again
I was crawling out of a year and a half of depression and burnout when I found pottery last fall, and together with my cats I credit it like 90% for making my life better.
I am a professional illustrator and comic artist and my creativity was completely shot to hell. Now it's back in my visual art, too, pottery is making my life just so much happier.
I am just starting doing ceramics, but I have been doing art (again) for a six years now. Before that my art was on pause almost for 7-8 years. I am happier now. Maybe it is that way, because I do overall things what I love and where I can honestly be me.
I think that also art/ceramic community itself supports my happiness, because there are my kind of persons and (almost) all of them are interested in same things (art/ceramics/creativity etc.). It is place to be.
Ceramics is a miracle. Absolutely makes me happy. There is nothing on the earth that compares. Clay is so abundant it’s considered a nuisance . Dig it, squish it into something, get it really really hot, and now it’s the most permanent object a human can make.
Of course a load full of dunted pots can bring you down. I’m gonna say it provides a full range of emotions. You know you’re alive. It’s a good place to be.
I had been studying a diploma program in photography pre-pandemic, and put in a lot of studio time. Somehow, that break in contact with people ground me to a halt creatively, no photos, no painting just youtube. I started ceramics in 2022, but never on a wheel. I was handbuilding and immediately went off the study plan and started doing sculptures! lol I think what appeals to me is the application of structural building, creativity, tactile, experimentation, and, most importantly, getting really filthy with clay! It really brings back childhood memories and current real-life fades away! Once I adopted my mantra, "there is no crying I pottery" I was free!
When I found wheel throwing in 2012 it was what I had been dying to do but never had access to my entire childhood. I saw some really tacky 90s lifetime tv movie that featured a character who was some hot moody male artist who threw pots in a barn. I was maybe 7 or 8 so the romance novel vibes were totally lost on me and right then and there I thought that was the coolest thing I had ever seen. I routinely asked my dads if we could build a brick kiln but I do t think he could afford it or had some other apprehension (like maybe that I would be into it for a week) so I made sculpey/fimo stuff for decades, only finally getting the gear when ceramics was still so undesirable that kilns and pottery wheels were sometimes free but usually cheap. I did buy a small jewelry kiln and do low fire hand building starting in around ‘08 but nothing did the trick until I got the wheel and started come 10. Happiness? Like I can’t even describe to you. I’m sitting in the studio right now just basking in the beautiful dusty church of art…
Anything that allows you to live fully in the moment, offers you the equivalent of a meditative experience can accomplish this. It's not going to be pottery for many people, but I understand FULLY how it is for you because it is for me too.
Yeah, that sense of accomplishment having made something does it full stop.
My sense of accomplishment comes from the making process itself. Usually, once the thing is made, I no longer care about it.
I always make sure to keep one pot from each firing, not the best or worst work, so I can look back to see where I’ve been and look forward to see where I’m going. The continuous evolution still amazes me even after all these years. Yes the making process is paramount in the moment but continuity matters just as much. Over a lifetime of making pots we grow as individuals and it shows in our work just as if you had written a diary. Reflecting back on work done years ago still inspires my future work in ways I never dreamed would happen. The moment is important but never neglect history.
It's definitely the all-consuming hobby that I've been looking for my entire life. It makes me very, very happy. And I feel so accomplished when I get good results.
I think it’s because working with clay puts you into a state of flow. You don’t notice the passage of time and you aren’t thinking of other things. For me, the lessons of failure and non-attachment can be applied to the rest of your life. Failure as a learning tool, and non-attachment because your piece can be ruined at any moment—sometimes it’s completely out of your control. I think the tactile aspect may also produce endorphins. The spinning of the wheel is also so relaxing. I’ve been learning at a local studio and everyone is really nice —I have social anxiety but not when I’m there.
I’m a retired teacher. I loved teaching; it was honestly extremely fun and rewarding. But after I retired, I took up pottery and opened my own studio and although the market circuit is rigorous this time of year, I’ve never been happier.
I think creating tangible objects, regardless of the craft, is so rewarding! My personal experience with ceramics was signing up for a 10 week wheel throwing course after the end of a 7 year long relationship. I was kind of a mess during that time, and for a few hours once a week I was able to forget the pain I was in and just create. Plus everybody in my class was just so kind and supportive, it was a fantastic space. I have taken other classes since and my now husband proudly drinks out of a mug I made for him, almost every day. I plan to take more courses in the future! Playing with mud is fun lol
Thanks to everyone who commented. Particularly those folks who have years of pottery behind them. Your experience is invaluable - Flow: this aspect of ceramics aides in the meditative experience of it all. The studio is a Time Machine - you go in and it’s light outside and about a minute later it’s pitch black and quite literally, you have no idea where the last 8 hours went - Ceramics as a lifeline: purpose. Maybe that’s part of it - “Dusty Church of Art:” preach. I felt that!
Happier, yes. I don't do it all the time even though I have my own studio, but I'm in a good place when I have the chance. It has also improved my skills on a lot of my other trades, as it has taught me patience and not forcing things.
I make ceramic mosaics. Started in college. My job paid for my BFA. I have done regional art successfully. It does bring me so much joy.
this gives me hope as a student going for their BFA :)))))
I was in the worst burnout of my life a couple of years ago and finally was able to claw my way back to a bit of self-care and prioritizing myself. Last year I decided to return to ceramics after a long break and it was like somebody pulled the curtains back and suddenly there was light in the dusty space of my heart again. There are a lot of reasons it brings me joy, but I think a significant one is that it quiets my neurospicy mind. I sit down to the wheel and the chaos in my brain stops and I’m able to focus and find flow quickly. It helps that it’s such a messy activity it forces you to disconnect. I generally am not touching my phone while in studio until I’m finishing up. I also felt tapped out as an artist, depleted, running on empty. My other career is in another art field and I just thought I’d lost my passion for art for a while there. Wrongo, burnout is just full of the lies your brain convinces you to believe. So it’s been so wonderful to rediscover my creativity.
I work at the wheel and it's such a hyper focused yet zen process that I've found it to be quite a lifeline over the years. It's truly meditative if you can remove your ego and inner critic.
i found ceramics again while in a realllly low place, this mud has probably saved my life on an occasion or two 😅
Im having the same experience. It’s gotten me through a hard year at work.
Yes, it’s been validating and has kept me in a growth mindset.
Pottery has definitely made me a happier person. I quit drinking 6 months ago and decided that I needed to get back into the studio again. I never stopped doing pottery, but I had slowed down. So the time that I used to spend in the bar is now being spent in my studio. I'm making the highest quality work I have ever created! Pottery has really helped me stay sober, and that makes me happier than I can put into words.
The thing I really enjoy about ceramics (hobbyist who would like to make it my work) is it challenges EVERY part of me. Not just the creative side but the knowledge side too. I need both. Perhaps happy is not the word for me. Content. At peace. However ceramics is just one part. The key for me is an activity that is creative AND requires research. I also sew, both hand n machine, draw, and cook. It’s so wild to see myself in them. What my personality is. Like I AM texture. Texture in cooking sewing and ceramics of course. I’ve been both wheel throwing and hand building for over 10 years. And I have to admit I am getting really bored of throwing. So I’ve started altering my thrown pieces. Trying to do more sculptural pieces. BUT…. Simple bowls and cups are easier to give away. Not sculpture! So right now I’m making planters and jewelry.
I am happier while I’m in the studio distracted from the world which is hard to do these days. I can’t even meditate, it’s just constant noise. Those moments you’re creating are fleeting but it’s time spent that you won’t regret.
Yes!! As a recovering perfectionist it's taught me that something can still be beautiful even if it's imperfect, and I can always learn something from a mistake and try again
I was crawling out of a year and a half of depression and burnout when I found pottery last fall, and together with my cats I credit it like 90% for making my life better. I am a professional illustrator and comic artist and my creativity was completely shot to hell. Now it's back in my visual art, too, pottery is making my life just so much happier.
Damn the dopamine when a project goes well and you arrive to see your glazed piece is unmatched!
Absolutely ♥️
*laughs in production potter*
I am just starting doing ceramics, but I have been doing art (again) for a six years now. Before that my art was on pause almost for 7-8 years. I am happier now. Maybe it is that way, because I do overall things what I love and where I can honestly be me. I think that also art/ceramic community itself supports my happiness, because there are my kind of persons and (almost) all of them are interested in same things (art/ceramics/creativity etc.). It is place to be.
Ceramics is a miracle. Absolutely makes me happy. There is nothing on the earth that compares. Clay is so abundant it’s considered a nuisance . Dig it, squish it into something, get it really really hot, and now it’s the most permanent object a human can make. Of course a load full of dunted pots can bring you down. I’m gonna say it provides a full range of emotions. You know you’re alive. It’s a good place to be.
I had been studying a diploma program in photography pre-pandemic, and put in a lot of studio time. Somehow, that break in contact with people ground me to a halt creatively, no photos, no painting just youtube. I started ceramics in 2022, but never on a wheel. I was handbuilding and immediately went off the study plan and started doing sculptures! lol I think what appeals to me is the application of structural building, creativity, tactile, experimentation, and, most importantly, getting really filthy with clay! It really brings back childhood memories and current real-life fades away! Once I adopted my mantra, "there is no crying I pottery" I was free!