Let’s talk about Art as self-care and more specifically the art of Ceramics.
Most of you may know that I’m an artist. If you don’t know... well, let me introduce myself.
Hi, I’m Amanda Morris (Soon to be Amanda Morris-Hunt 💍) and I’m an actor, playwright, filmmaker. I’m an artist.
What most of you don’t know is that I also love to draw, paint and dance! Now, I may not be the best at them but that doesn’t take away the joy I get from expressing myself through various art forms.
For the past month I found myself over at the Jamaica Center for Arts and learning in Southeast Queens, New York baby! I was over there taking a ceramics class taught by the legendary ceramics artist, Sana Musasama. And let me tell you something, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done in my whole life. Not because I created the most perfect pieces but simply because I was at peace while doing it all.
Now, because I am an artist I am well aware of how peaceful the practice of different art forms can be. Unless we’re talking about an 8am acting class where you’re being forced to recall past traumas to let out a few tears. Ain't nothing peaceful bout that hunnie. That’s traumatic.
We move on.
When I signed up for my ceramics class, I was expecting to make beautiful pieces-- and that I did. What I wasn’t expecting was the tranquility that glided through the studio from the beginning to the end of each class.
No matter what mood I was in, as soon as I entered the studio my mind and body were transported to a place of ease. I was ready to create.
My phone didn’t exist unless I was taking photos or videos of my pieces. The outside world and whatever tasks I might’ve been dealing with no longer worried me. And hunnie I’m planning a whole wedding so there’s a lot going through my mind at any given minute.
There’s just something so therapeutic about sitting down with a piece of clay and knowing that you can make whatever you want with it. Feeling the soft clay in your hands, knowing that it’s perfectly fine to start over at any point. Oh! And my personal favorite: there are really no mistakes.
Sometimes you'll make something and there might be a few cracks in the clay and you’ll think “darn, that’s not what I was trying to do.” but then you see the finished product and what you thought was a blemish turned out to be the most beautiful and unique part of your piece. That’s a life lesson if you really think about it.
During my final ceramics class as I was continuing work on a piece I had delicately made the week before I thought to myself, “When this is over, what am I going to replace it with?” It was at that very moment that I realized how important this class has been for my mental and emotional health. It became my latest and most blissful piece of self-care. I quickly thought about getting a paint set which would be replicating the moments I spent in class hand glazing my pieces with a brush or even buying play-doh to continue this practice of creating things with my hands.
It’s like I’m a little kid in prep school all over again.
And with that I ask you, why is it that when we get older we stop painting, getting our hands messy, coloring outside the lines?
When was the last time you drew something? Just for fun?
In this vlog I take you to my ceramics class. Check it out!
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