Five reasons to join a pottery class

BY TAMRA BOOTH, KEEEPS

Do you love pottery but 'umming' and 'ahing' about joining a pottery class? Don't worry. We have a lot of people that have been nervous about joining a class, whether because they were worried they wouldn't be very good at it, or worried about the class atmosphere. You're not alone!

We've put together a list of reasons why you should join a class to help quell some of these worries and to encourage you to take the pottery plunge. Our students haven't looked back and neither will you.

 

What pottery classes do Keeeps offer?

Keeeps offers clay taster classes, wheel throwing taster classes for beginners and those needing a quick refresh as well as both 6-week and 4-week wheel throwing courses.

To learn about our classes and what to expect, take a look at our helpful mini guides which give you a flavour of our clay taster classes, and wheel taster classes.

We have wheels for throwing but also lots of advice and ideas for those who just wish to hand build.

For those who are already making pottery at an amateur or advanced level, or for those who have taken one of our wheel throwing courses, you'll be able to book open studio sessions.

In our open studio sessions, you’ll have access to our studio, all of our equipment, including wheels, kilns and house glazes so you can come at your leisure. Depending on which level you're at, you'll also benefit from the assistance of a potter tutor and/or a pottery technician to help with your technique.

If you are ‘umming’ and ‘ahhing’ about joining a pottery class or making pottery, here’s 5 reasons to try and persuade you to book that pottery class you’ve been thinking about!

5 reasons to join a pottery class

1. Pottery classes are FUN!

This is the most important point if you are going to give up your precious down-time doing something new, it’s got to be fun! Making pottery takes you back to your primal instincts by working with and creating functional and practical items by hand. There’s something about feeling the clay between your fingers that is really freeing and enjoyable, taking you back to your childhood when getting muddy was what it was all about. There’s a reason all the celebrities are getting in on the action!

There is also fun in the freedom of making whatever you want, and that it need not be perfect. Handmade pottery is all about celebrating imperfection, which means no more worrying about doing it ‘wrong’ and certainly no pressure for your creation to be flawless – there’s no such thing and that’s great! So, throw away your inhibitions and enjoy your pottery class!

Have a listen to Joel Dommett and Hannah Cooper's podcast, Never Have I Ever, where they visited Keeeps for a Clay Taster Class. They had an absolute ball, and we were so pleased that they had such a good time.

2. You’ll meet friendly, like-minded people

The great thing about joining a pottery class is that it involves working alone, in your own little bubble, but also as part of a group. Making pottery in a class, much like advanced potters working together in a pottery studio, is a great hobby for both introverts and extroverts.

If you’ve a creative mind, and like working with your hands, a pottery class is a great way to meet people with a similar outlook on life with the same interests or to meet people if you’ve just moved to a new place. Many people sign up to classes not necessarily because they are eager to make pottery, but as a way making new friends. The addiction to making pottery that follows is a bonus! Sometimes students will go for a coffee or drink after the pottery class so it can be a really sociable hobby, if you want it to be.

A huge percentage of our students attend their pottery classes alone, and we find there are moments of friendly chatter around the room, but then moments of serene calmness, where the room is quiet, full of people concentrating. Whilst a class can be sociable, it's also a place to relax and get stuck in to your creation. Best Book Forward explains it beautifully in her blog post about her Clay Taster experience at Keeeps. 

3. It’s a chance to be creative, even if you are not ‘arty’

Creativity means so many different things, and it can take different forms depending on the person. Just because you can’t paint the next Mona Lisa or design like Valentino doesn’t mean you don’t have a creative mind. Often, it is because we don’t have the opportunity to practice creative thinking or activities because our work is very corporate or practical.

Creativity is important as it has so many benefits on the mind. We have previously discussed how making pottery benefits mental wellness, helping you to relieve stress and work through emotions. Creativity also creates positive energy by focusing on something you enjoy rather than the worries of the day.

Making pottery also increases brain plasticity which stimulates communication between different parts of the brain. A well-connected brain helps you process information better and faster.[1] A creative act, such as making pottery at a pottery class, or even making pottery at home using our home pottery kits, can help focus the mind and has been compared to meditation due to its calming effect on the mind and body.[2]

4. Provides an opportunity to switch off

The Myers-Brigg company found that those who are always ‘on’ are more likely to experience high stress, mental exhaustion[3], and burn-out, so it is very important to take a break and fully switch off.

This might mean going for a run after work to clear the mind or having a ‘no-screen’ rule for the last hour before bedtime. If you’re not a runner or gym-bunny, however, taking a pottery class is a great way to switch-off as well as limiting screen-time – there’s no checking emails, taking calls or responding to messages once you’ve got your hands on the clay! At a pottery class, you will be virtually non-contactable for a couple of hours which provides a great chance to disconnect with the world and reconnect with yourself for a while. 

5. To learn something new

Learning is good for the brain, no matter what age you are. Making pottery at a pottery class keeps the mind engaged by learning the language of making pottery (throwing for example!), keeping the body active and helping to gain a new perspective. It can be exciting and rewarding with therapeutic qualities[4]. For example, you may discover something you have a real talent for, unlocking unknown potential.

Overall, making pottery can make you feel useful, particularly if you make something functional for the home, when you use it, you can think ‘I made this!!”, even if it doesn’t look like a masterpiece, and that feeling of achievement is great for mental wellbeing.

So get out there, get that creativity flowing and sign up for that pottery class you’ve been thinking about! You might surprise yourself and discover a talent you never knew you had!

Of course, if you have any questions, contact us on social media, by email on marlow@keeeps.co.uk or give us a call on 01628 397000 - we'd be happy to give you a helping hand!

We can’t wait to see you in the pottery studio soon!

 

 

Sources:

[1] Connecting the Dots: Your Brain and Creativity · Frontiers for Young Minds (frontiersin.org)

[2] Here's How Creativity Actually Improves Your Health (forbes.com)

[3] Switching off from work - Employee Benefits

[4] Benefits of Learning New Skills (vault.com)