In general, all forms of Art lead to a state of well-being, fulfillment, pleasure, concentration and help to clear the mind of problems and conflicts, at least during the time we dedicate ourselves to creative activities. But working with clay to create Art, be it utilitarian or simply an expression of Beauty, leads us to another universe, another dimension.
Recent research proves that using clay as a form of expression considerably reduces levels of stress, anxiety and depression, in addition to making the individual look at himself, inside, in search of self-knowledge. Clay sure makes this journey easier, and I speak from experience.
In a time where connections are increasingly instantaneous, where global knowledge comes to us in seconds from a simple 'click' on a smartphone screen, where people seem increasingly anxious, without time, with superficial relationships and transient, it becomes necessary to “go back inside”, a time to look in the mirror of the soul and understand what is happening to us, what we need, what makes us happy or unhappy… STOP is fundamental.
Buddhist monks have been doing this for millennia, they have taught us to meditate, stop, reflect and chant mantras, and over the years this wisdom has acquired other nuances, gaining other baptismal names and thousands of adepts around the planet.
Thus, from experiences, studies, case observations and personal reports, it was discovered that clay is a very powerful tool to help reconnect with oneself and with others.
Clay helps us…
- Focusing the mind on the Present moment, and like Dance, makes you use the five senses, muscles, attention, tension, breathing, movements, your whole body, combined with your mind, for a goal Final. It's the Middle that justifies the End, you've heard of it, right!? Here, the main thing is the Process, and not necessarily the final result, where everything works in harmony and in solidarity.
- lose track of Time, in a good way, distract the mind (our sometimes so active and tiring companion), make room for the new, relax, do a general cleaning of worries and silence the mental “monkeys” that keep jumping around non-stop , distract and disturb us.
- exercise creativity, the freedom to create without censorship, give form to thought, make imagination a reality and enjoy it with all that we are entitled to.
But also, and properly clay, teaches us to deal with many aspects of our lives that we are not always able to deal with under normal conditions, for example, it teaches us to…
- deal with frustrations, as the final result does not always correspond to the planned project, since in the process of making a piece, the idea is exposed to some variables, such as air humidity, intensity/direction and temperature /or “temperament” of fire, and other factors of Nature over which we have no control.
- react to the unexpected, forcing us to discover and create resources to solve problems that arise during the creation, drying and finishing of a part.
- understand that we do not have control of everything, that it is humanly impossible to control all aspects of life, and even so we can be happy, welcoming differences, surprises and understanding the other over whom we have no control, but who can add us/ add and enrich us.
- develop acceptance, since without absolute control, sometimes the forces of natural elements lead your piece to a surprising result, not always as “good/beautiful” as you would like, but which can become admired and beautiful, with all the its “imperfections”.
- not being attached to material things, because in its various moments of construction the piece goes through situations of extreme fragility, and even if you do everything “right”, it can break inside the oven or on any day of its existence, which makes us understand more and more deeply that everything is fleeting, but it can be redone, reconstructed, improved, always opening up new possibilities!
So what are you waiting for? Let's go and get hands on! Literally…
Come join in!
