Throwing and Trimming = Stress Relief.

Life gets crazy sometimes. All around are the pressures to do and do and do some more. In the New Year, there’s the resolutions to be better at doing. Get more exercise. Eat healthier. Drink more water. Again, it’s all about doing. 

But what if doing could be easy? What if being and doing became one? Ok, I realize this sounds crazy. And I am not saying I want to stop, sit and stare into the nothingness 24/7. But maybe there’s a way to feel that way, be that way in everyday life? How can I live and work with less stress? How can I take what I do in yoga class and bring it into my every day?

Yoga and throwing have a lot in common. 

Throwing requires me to be centered. Physically, my hands, feet, legs, and butt, need to be in alignment, in order to pull the clay into any kind of form. Too much pressure from one hand and the clay goes off to one side. Uneven feet or legs easily pull a bowl off center or create a wobbly edge. 

When I trim, I didn’t think I needed to be as centered. But, I was wrong. At this stage of the process, I’m taking my thrown bowl, turning it upside down and working to carve away all the excess clay from the bottom of the pot. It’s important to be centered here too. It helps to the bottom even, add a nice level foot.  

In yoga, I need to be centered, so my body can use my muscles for balance and strength. Yoga breathing is designed to help concentration, to quiet distracting thoughts so I can be present. 

When I throw, I can easily be thrown off by my critical voices or monkey mind. Using my breath and yoga alignment helps me throw and trim more easily. And I thank my wonderful yoga teachers reminding me to use my abs, that training helps me throw without throwing out my back.

Making as meditation. 

I’m not good at meditating. I’ve tried it, really I have.  I know it reduces stress but I just can’t seem to sit still and relax for longer than 10 minutes. It kind of stresses me out. But, maybe I don’t have to. 

There’s another big benefit my work gives me - less stress. Yes, studies show that no matter whether you are a studio artist or not, making art can significantly reduce stress-related hormone, cortisol, in your body. Reducing stress helps you live longer (and enjoy it more, I think). 

“A research study at Drexel University found that 75% of the participants’ cortisol levels lowered during their 45 minutes of making art. And while there was some variation in how much cortisol levels lowered, there was no correlation between past art experience and lower levels.”

That means anyone can reduce stress through art. Anytime. 

So get out that coloring book. Cross stitch. Paint. Cut up some cloth or paper. Or hoorah, put your hands in clay. 

Turning it on and Turning it off.

I’m firing today. And while others use a digital programmable controls on their kilns, I use my own digits. I turn it to Low and click a timer for 2 hours. When the timer goes off, I go down, turn it to Medium and set the time for another 2 hours. Finally, I turn it to High and check to make sure it clicks off in maybe an hour or two. 

Does it bug me that I am essentially trapped for a day with my sole job being a kiln operator? No. While it might not be the most creative or interesting job in the world, it is satisfying knowing my work is on its way to the finish line. 

Do I cross my fingers and hope? You bet. 

Because of the nature of ceramics, there is always risk. While there are many things I can control, including turning up the kiln. There are many things I can not. Unexpected bumps, holes, bubbles can happen to even the most experienced artist. Being a fairly newbie in the art of ceramics, I worry. I also blame myself for a lot of problems that are just part of the process. 

But I’m learning to embrace the process and let go of blame. And as I’ve said before, I see that the process is teaching me much about life. 

One lesson is how to turn it down. 

Letting go is not my strong suit. Leisure seems to me to be something other people do. And when, what and how they do it is a mystery to me. But, again, thanks to having to sit and wait for my kiln to fire my work, I am learning. 

For the first two hours, I took care of the domestic world. I watered plants, loaded the washing machine, made my studio notes. I always do a chart of what clay, underglazes and glazes are used on each piece. After the firing, I’ll make notes of the results. Yup, just like chemistry class. 

For the second two hours, I took care of me. Hair, makeup, a little perfume.  A healthy, delicious lunch of fresh peaches and yogurt. Yup, a little Netflix. 

But the most important and one thing I always resist: meditation. It seems so easy and a great waste of time, right? Yet I know it’s the exact opposite. It’s hard to spend even 15-20 minutes quietly on the floor. It takes discipline mixed with letting go to keep my mind open to nothing but breathing. 

When I do it even part way, the result is always worth it. 

Just like with my kiln sitting, my meditation sitting goes through stages. As the time and heat increase, many things bubble up. There are sticky, bumpy areas. And some of the feelings smooth and melt away. 

Being my own digital kiln controller, is perhaps, a blessing from a wise universe. A way to teach me about control and even more about letting it go. 

Turning on my kiln, makes me take the time to turn off my mind, leaving me with a clearer cup in which to hold my life. 

2017 Word of the Year.

This year's word has not been a clear choice. Truth be told, it's been a struggle to find one word that feels right to me. The struggle led me to question many things. How does the word fit into my creative life? What do I want from it? Why is this such a struggle this year in particular? Why do I need a word at all?

The answer is I'm searching for a life line. And one word may not be enough.

With the political climate drastically changed, I find myself flooded with feelings I did not ever expect to feel about my life, my country and even my neighbors. I fear my basic rights as a woman are now in question.  I'm angry to see a blatant racist misogynist elected into one of our country's most visible worldly positions.  I am sad to know women actually voted this person into this office causing me to look at my neighbors with different eyes.

I don't like what I see. I've struggled to find a word to hold onto, to calm me, to lift me up.

Truth. Hope. Humor. These three words rose to the surface of the muck pulling me down on a daily basis. How to pick one? As a writer and an artist, my first instinct is to research by pulling out the Merriam Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus. Here are condensed definitions of all three words.

Truth (search popularity 20%): sincerity in action, character, and utterance; facts

Hope (search popularity 1%): to expect with confidence; trust

Humor (search popularity 40%): a sense of the ludicrous, absurd, comical or amusing; laugh

The Thesaurus led me to an insight: the feelings I didn't want to feel were, in fact, the exact opposite of this year's choices.  

Antonym of Fear: Hopeful, Calm, Courage 

Antonym of Anger: Delight, Humor, Joy, Peace

Antonym of Sadness: Hopeful, Honest/True, Humor/Joy

Ah ha.  My key feeling has been sadness and the antidote, I see is all three. But I only pick one word for the year. I use it as a touch stone, a mantra, a light to guide me on my daily path and this year, I truly needed a strong word to hang onto, to lift me up and out, feel true and give me a sense of possibility.

Hope. 

This year, let it be the small flame in the darkness.  The glimmer of truth.  A knowing laugh that this too, shall pass.