The Art of Making Pottery

Pottery has reemerged with a new and important role to play in our society. It enriches everyday objects with purpose and beauty, and gives them a soul.

Creating pottery is not only a fun and creative activity but also incredibly meditative. The process of working with clay takes you out of your modern day life, away from all the worries, to-do lists and inner conversations, and brings you into a flow state where time seems to pass by without any effort. It’s almost like you have become one with the material in your hands, and you can feel yourself being drawn into a deeper understanding of your own creativity and self-expression.

When you begin to work with clay there are some preparatory steps that must be taken, before you can begin to form and shape the piece. The clay must be kneaded, and it is important to get an even amount of moisture throughout the entire slab. Once the clay is kneaded and it has a low enough moisture content, it’s ready to be fired in a kiln.

A kiln is necessary for ceramics because it heats the clay to very high temperatures, which changes the structure of the clay and removes all of the water within. The temperature of the kiln can be adjusted depending on the kind of pottery you are making. If you are making pottery that you want to be functional, it’s very important that your pottery is fired at the right temperature to ensure that it will withstand repeated use and not crack or break.