»Whenever you are creating beauty around you, you are restoring your own soul«.
I believe she's right, but I also believe, that attempting; striving to create beauty restores your soul as well. The act of simply working with your hands, searching the inner stillness, while quietly listening, is healing you. I find I need to do this, maybe not every day, but as often as possible. I need to work with my hands, to create, and maybe create beauty, in order to feel whole and be at peace.
It doesn't really matter what my hands are doing, or what they are working with. As long as what I'm doing somehow feels like a prayer, or like I'm in conversation with something or somebody else, it restores my soul. Well, that, and working with materials, that I find beautiful and inspiring, such as natural materials.
I recently felt the need for trying something new, specifically for trying to make something of clay. And it is such a wonderful matter to work with. Even though I really enjoyed the process, I didn't find that what I made was beautiful. Nevertheless, I like the organic feeling and the colours, which happen to go well with my natural dyed fabrics. And actually, seeing the pictures now, makes me look with new eyes, and I think I can appreciate my first attempts better. I'm eager to make some more!
What restores your soul?
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I couldn't agree more with that Walker quote! I need to create beauty as much as possible. Back in the studio of late and feeling inspiration - which is good for the soul. I like your first attempts quite a bit, especially that snakey-spiraly one. They are all very wabi-sabi and hold little worlds of color.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes, inspiration feeds your soul, and creating beauty restores it - And I guess wabi sabi describes it quite well.
Deleteoo, pottery too! We were lucky (me and my partner, we met at art college : ) did a degree in ceramics down in Cornwall - some of the best days of my life : ) I'm just starting to make again and I realise how much I've missed it (I haven't really done much since my son was born) it really is one of the most therepeutic crafts, it should be compulsory, the world would be a much better place! You've made some beautiful pots, love the glazes : ) xxx
ReplyDeleteLovely place to meet - art must be a wonderful thing to have in common. I met my husband at a yoga retreat - that's nice too :)
ReplyDeleteI'd really love to see some ceramics from your hands! Mine are actually just the first silly attempts. I had no idea what I was doing. Still, I learned something and dream of making everything; plates, pots and cups and never use anything else. And I vote yes to making ceramics obligatory in schools all over the world!!
Your first attempts are truly amazing!
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful shapes and textures and colors! I love all those matte earthy glazes and free-forms!
I cherish my first ceramic cups so much after years passed. I just can see now the freedom and improvisation they been created with, my innocence...
I'm happy to know you touched the clay! <3