Blog Entry: Ceramics – Pinch Pots, and Everyday Ritual

My ceramics journey this year has been one of colour, earth, and emotional healing. I began with bright, joyful hand-built works — two small floral mugs and a bold purple-and-orange jug. These early pieces were full of warmth and playfulness, celebrating comfort, domesticity, and the small rituals that make a home feel safe. Their colours were loud, happy, and full of life, and at the time, that was exactly what I needed: permission to create joy.

But as the semester deepened, so did my work. I found myself moving toward more natural tones and quieter forms. I experimented with Dark Matter clay, speckled stoneware, terracotta, and porcelain, shaping tiny vessels and candle holders, painting them with soft glazes and earthy greens. Working with clay in this softer, more grounded way became healing — the touch of the material, the weight of it in my hands, the slow rhythm of smoothing, joining, and refining. Clay listens. Clay steadies.

This inner shift culminated in my ritual object, The House. On the outside it appears stable, calm, and ordinary. But inside, it holds darkness — wire, knots, and shadowed spaces. This piece represents the experience of mental health that many people never see: that life can look “fine” from the outside, while inside we navigate trauma, night terrors, hallucinations, and the fragile work of holding ourselves together. Each morning, stepping outside to breathe and ground myself becomes essential. The House captures that truth with honesty and love.

Creating these ceramic works has offered me a place to process, to breathe, and to rebuild. Clay has taught me that healing doesn’t always come in bright colours; sometimes it comes in earth tones, candle scents, quiet forms, and vessels made slowly by hand. This practice continues to help me reflect on who I am, what I’ve survived, and how art can transform even the heaviest stories into something gentle and meaningful.