How ceramics are an antidote to division and negativity
More than 25 years ago, I sat behind a wheel in a ceramics class for the first time. There I learned the fine – and sometimes not so fine – tricks of the trade. A lot has changed in the world since then, but one thing has remained the same: the power of community within a ceramics group of truly interested people.
Today I am no longer in class or attending lectures, I stand in front of the class or give them. And from that perspective I see something special: students and participants who inspire each other, share ideas, discuss designs and even learn from failures. Yes, also from the ceramics accidents – not to laugh at, but to understand and perhaps even to reuse.
Making ceramics yourself and designing glazes gives an enormous positive impulse. It shows how important it is to understand each other, learn from each other and continue to develop yourself.
The Positive Power of Creativity
Ceramics are more than a technique for mastering clay and glaze. It is an antidote to the negative forces that seek not to create, but to oppress.
I don’t close my eyes to the world around me, but I choose to flee forward: to development, connection, beauty and ideals.
Clay unites – every turn on the wheel, every squeeze in the clay is a step towards community building.
I remind myself to learn from others, to learn from myself and not to be provoked by outdated symbols of hatred and oppression.
Community Development with Ceramics
Art and creativity – such as ceramics – force collaboration, learning, growth. You don’t achieve this by dividing, but by community building. Creating together is building a culture of trust and inspiration.
In a recent interview with ceramist David MacDonald , I was reminded of how clay was more than a material to him. It became a means to heal wounds of repression and frustration. His work transformed from a focus on hatred and pain to a search for beauty, cultural history and meaning.
That is the power of ceramics: it provides space to convert emotions into something tangible, something that connects. Ceramists have always done that, and they will continue to do so. Clay unites, I’m convinced of that.
Look at yourself
Becoming resilient to old patterns of oppression and division is not easy. But those who want to learn cannot shut themselves off. Seeking connection is not a weakness, it is a strength.
I want to make work with meaning, imagination and inner beauty. I am not intimidated by screamers, but inspired.
Why this hatred? What injustice is being done to them? Which forces benefit from this?
What work needs to be made to comprehend this? What work should be made in spite of these forces? What work does humanity need in the future? What work do I need?
I don’t have all the answers to these and other questions, but with a little help from the ceramics community, we’ll get there!
The Magic Potion
This communal creativity is my magic potion. It makes me invincible against the hatred and lies that modern demagogues spread. Creating together is the antidote to division.
And that… is something to cherish.
Come to throw, come to make, come to connect. Together, we create more than ceramics – we create community.
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