I had an interesting realization recently during a wheel throwing session and I thought I would share it here because it may resonate with some of you.
I am very new to the wheel and feel like it is a medium that I need to learn and really get to know, which means connecting with it at a deeper level. So far, I enjoy the wheel because I find the motion soothing and calming. I also find that the clay dances in between my fingers where I feel its energy as if it were alive. The clay and I team up in a creative partnership.
It was in one of those dances when I realized the many parallels between throwing a pot and what we can call life’s lessons. For instance, you cannot force the pot to form, you have to be gentle and subtle and apply just the right pressure in just the right places to allow it to unfold willingly. As with many situations in life, we can not force something to happen, we can only do the work, plan, prepare, follow through, and wait for it to happen at the right time. Another parallel I noticed is that before you can expand the clay into a large vase, it must be compressed. In the same manner, to let something in our lives grow and expand, we must first compress it down by thinking it through and creating a plan. Similarly, when we are unclear, confused or drifting from our goals, we must narrow the focus to become centered again in our lives. We do the same when the clay is off center. Another insight I was able to observe is that in working with the walls of a pot, our fingers work on both the inside and outside of the pot. If the inside becomes rough or uneven, it soon affects the outside, just as the outside can affect the inside. The same is true for our outer and inner self. When our actions are not supported by our inner higher nature, then our actions fall flat!
Have you found similar life lesson insights when working with clay? Please share your thoughts.