‘I LEAVE FEELING LIFTED AND LIGHT’
Anna Bonet throws herself into self-expression
Close your eyes. Centre yourself. Elbows in. Focus. Deep, steady breathing,’ says my instructor, Emma Lacey, who (although it might sound like I’m in a yoga class) is teaching me how to throw clay on a wheel. I’m at Clay Time in north London, and while I might not be mid-vinyasa flow, pottery does share many of the mental health benefits of yoga. In fact, pottery has been proven to be so therapeutic that some scientists think it might be an effective treatment for depression: a 2017 study published in the Journal Of Affective Disorders suggests that creating objects out of clay can help improve mood, decision-making and motivation.
Using pottery to heal is part of a wider (and growing) movement in art psychotherapy. Art therapists use the process of self-expression, and the resulting artwork, to help clients understand their emotional conflicts, improve self-esteem and ease anxiety, and anyone who turned to arts and crafts during lockdown might be able to see why. Although, I have to admit that the first 10 minutes of my pottery class isn’t what I would call relaxing. Clay is flying everywhere and the wobbly lump in front of me is rotating so quickly I can’t control it. The end result is a wonky mess. I can’t help but think that if this is self-expression, it’s a fairly accurate representation of how I’m feeling. Then, as I try to take it off the wheel with a wire, it collapses – and ends up in the recycling. Lacey doesn’t give me much chance to think about it, as minutes later, I have another wedge of clay in my hands, which I thump on to the wheel. ‘The first time is always the hardest,’ Lacey reassures me. ‘Try again. Keep going.’ This time, I focus on keeping my body centred with my eyes closed. I wouldn’t have thought that not looking would help, but it does. It stops me from getting scared of not being able to control the clay. Instead, I feel my way around it as I methodically lift and lower the sides of the pot to transform its shape. This time, everything feels more steady and my stress begins to melt away.
As I start to understand just how soothing pottery can be, I also realise there’s something enjoyable about the fact I’m covered in clay. It’s in my hair, all down my apron and even in my shoes. My hands are caked in it. I suppose that my clumsy nature means that I may have been a bit more messy than others, but being that mucky is childlike and playful to the point that I’m feeling worlds away from both my email inbox and the worries of an impending second lockdown.
By my third go during the two-hour clay throwing taster session, I’m beaming. By my fourth, I’m shocked that there are now three small bowls and pots lined up on a slab and ready to be glazed – that I made with my very own bare hands!
I leave the Clay Time studio feeling lifted and light. My session has been so satisfying and calming that as soon as I get home (and cleaned up), I’m looking at when I can book another. This soothing hobby is one I’m definitely going to return to. Visit claytime.london to book a session or follow @claytimecic on Instagram